Nate Diaz once sat on top of the highest mountain in mixed martial arts. Now, he moved into the MMA doghouse after making an ill-advised decision. Choosing to bow out of his return fight led to Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White dropping Diaz from any upcoming big-money pay per view bookings.
Diaz originally signed to fight Dustin Poirier in a comeback match at UFC 230. Diaz has not competed in two years. So, fans clamored to see him return.
The fight with Poirier — if all went as hoped — would have given Diaz momentum after a win. Diaz’s chances of winning weren’t guaranteed. Poirer maintains an excellent fight record. If Diaz lost, the UFC still wins out. In beating Diaz, Poirer could become a new superstar.
MMA, however, remains perpetually unpredictable. Poirier pulled out of the high-profile fight due to an injury. The standard way to handle such a situation involves booking an alternate fighter.
Shockingly, Diaz said no. He prefers to make his return in a title fight at a future UFC PPV. Dana White didn’t find this amusing. White’s won’t book Diaz anymore. Giving Diaz any match — much less a title fight — would set a bad precedent.
Diaz didn’t do the UFC any favors by walking away from a hyped comeback fight. Sponsors pay money based on promised fights. Fans buy tickets for the same reason. When a promised fighter doesn’t compete, a promotion suffers a host of headaches.
Nate Diaz‘s career might not be over, but his next fight bookings may not be for a top promotion. Diaz may find himself fighting on smaller cards for promoters willing to overlook the UFC 230 debacle.
Does Diaz want to fight again though? He walked away from a big fight and big money on a big stage. He hasn’t taken a match in two years. Maybe Diaz is just not into it anymore.
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.