UFC boss warming to Nick Diaz, won't rule out title fight with UFC 137 win
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UFC boss warming to Nick Diaz, won't rule out title fight with UFC 137 win
Poor_Franklin
9/21/11 6:33:43PM
"Here's the thing with Nick Diaz, which I'm not used to, but I'm going to get used to it: He's just a different guy," White today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I'm going to have to handle him and deal with him differently than I do every other guy in the UFC."
"It's not that he has to," he said. "But you have to play by some of the rules. I'm not asking you to not be yourself ... or come up to me and say 'hi' to me when you see me. It doesn't matter. But I think I can work with it, and I think we can figure this thing out. I respect him as a fighter, people like to see him fight, there's no doubt he's got a little nutty side to him, but we'll figure this thing out.
"What I'm more worried about are the things that he has to do, like follow the rules that the athletic commission of whatever state we're in lays down. You've got to follow those rules. There's no bending or curving on that. All the other stuff is all, who cares. The kid's a fighter."
"When you've got a guy that's funny like 'Rampage,' who speaks as nice as Jon Jones does, and the list goes on and on," White said. "But at the end of the day, Nick Diaz isn't showing up to give some big speeches, and he's not performing in front of it. He's coming to fight, and that kid shows up to fight.
"I told him, 'Listen. You have to show up for the press conference. You can sit there and [not] say a word. People can ask you questions, don't even answer them if you don't want to. You have to show up. You have to be there.' We'll see what happens."
"He's fought in these smaller organizations where the inmates run the asylum," White said. "If he's fighting in Strikeforce before we owned it and doesn't show up for a press conference, what's Scott Coker going to do? Cancel the main event? Hell no. That would never happen in a million years.
"When you come over here, it's a whole other ball game, man. You don't run this show. I do. I'm going to make decisions sometimes that make the fans not too happy and piss people off here and there. But if you're going to run your business, you've got to do what you've got to do."
mmajunkie
i took the major quotes from the article & took out the filler. the whole thing is there in the link. if it doesnt tie together well enough for you guys, sorry
"It's not that he has to," he said. "But you have to play by some of the rules. I'm not asking you to not be yourself ... or come up to me and say 'hi' to me when you see me. It doesn't matter. But I think I can work with it, and I think we can figure this thing out. I respect him as a fighter, people like to see him fight, there's no doubt he's got a little nutty side to him, but we'll figure this thing out.
"What I'm more worried about are the things that he has to do, like follow the rules that the athletic commission of whatever state we're in lays down. You've got to follow those rules. There's no bending or curving on that. All the other stuff is all, who cares. The kid's a fighter."
"When you've got a guy that's funny like 'Rampage,' who speaks as nice as Jon Jones does, and the list goes on and on," White said. "But at the end of the day, Nick Diaz isn't showing up to give some big speeches, and he's not performing in front of it. He's coming to fight, and that kid shows up to fight.
"I told him, 'Listen. You have to show up for the press conference. You can sit there and [not] say a word. People can ask you questions, don't even answer them if you don't want to. You have to show up. You have to be there.' We'll see what happens."
"He's fought in these smaller organizations where the inmates run the asylum," White said. "If he's fighting in Strikeforce before we owned it and doesn't show up for a press conference, what's Scott Coker going to do? Cancel the main event? Hell no. That would never happen in a million years.
"When you come over here, it's a whole other ball game, man. You don't run this show. I do. I'm going to make decisions sometimes that make the fans not too happy and piss people off here and there. But if you're going to run your business, you've got to do what you've got to do."
mmajunkie
i took the major quotes from the article & took out the filler. the whole thing is there in the link. if it doesnt tie together well enough for you guys, sorry
mattjonesy
9/21/11 6:46:41PM
I still want to see gsp - diaz 
.
.
prophecy033
9/21/11 6:51:21PM
Posted by mattjonesy
I still want to see gsp - diaz
its just a matter of Diaz staying out of trouble, which I'm not sure he can do
Chael_Sonnen
9/21/11 9:23:10PM
Posted by mattjonesy
I still want to see gsp - diaz
Diaz would get smoked.....Ya know?
tallica62
9/21/11 9:34:41PM
glad to hear dana say that...regardless of how wrong diaz was, i still wanna see him fight
prozacnation1978
9/21/11 11:03:51PM
We all know if he beats penn he will get a title shot
KungFuMaster
9/22/11 1:27:07AM
I hope Diaz beats Penn. I think it will be a tough fight for him and I actually think he will lose but I want him to win. I need to see Diaz vs GSP before the world ends.
KungFuMaster
9/22/11 1:31:04AM
Let me reiterate. Diaz needs to win. If he does not win, Penn may end up receiving the title shot which I no longer wish to see.
Bubbles
9/22/11 1:06:31PM
wow not one F-bomb from DFW?? 
ghandikush
9/22/11 2:00:17PM
Posted by KungFuMaster
Let me reiterate. Diaz needs to win. If he does not win, Penn may end up receiving the title shot which I no longer wish to see.
Maybe Ellenberger gets the shot first who knows. I think Penn is going to knock Diaz out really easilly.
tmas
9/22/11 3:34:32PM
Posted by ghandikush
Posted by KungFuMaster
Let me reiterate. Diaz needs to win. If he does not win, Penn may end up receiving the title shot which I no longer wish to see.
Maybe Ellenberger gets the shot first who knows. I think Penn is going to knock Diaz out really easilly. [/QUOTE
if he hadnt lost to story
40ouncetpkid
9/22/11 4:05:02PM
Wow, you can tell Dana had this planned the whole time. He just needed one excuse. He didn't wanna give Diaz a shot immediately, he just didnt want him to go to boxing so he made that half ass promise.
bjj1605
9/22/11 6:01:36PM
Posted by 40ouncetpkid
Wow, you can tell Dana had this planned the whole time. He just needed one excuse. He didn't wanna give Diaz a shot immediately, he just didnt want him to go to boxing so he made that half ass promise.
Thats a hell of a conspiracy theory...
With absolutely no evidence or logic to back it up.
ANYWAY!!!! I'm glad to hear Dana talk like this. I feel basically the same way about Diaz. He's one of my favorite fighters in the sport (provided I mute the TV during his post-fight interview).
BustedKnuckle
9/22/11 7:31:17PM
Glad to see that Nick wont be looking for new employment soon. Nick needs to fulfill his obligations....... flat out! What would happen if you or i decided we didnt want to deal with some BS at work. We would be sent packing. Time for Lil Nicky to step up and act like a professional!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!........................because he isn't right now. He is acting like a kindergartener.
sbulldavid
9/22/11 10:57:34PM
I'll take Nick over Penn if it's a five rounder.
ghandikush
9/23/11 12:31:26AM
Posted by sbulldavid
I'll take Nick over Penn if it's a five rounder.
he has to survive 3 rounds before it makes a difference.
KungFuMaster
9/23/11 3:03:25AM
Posted by ghandikush
Posted by KungFuMaster
Let me reiterate. Diaz needs to win. If he does not win, Penn may end up receiving the title shot which I no longer wish to see.
Maybe Ellenberger gets the shot first who knows. I think Penn is going to knock Diaz out really easilly.
I agree with you. It is not so much that Penn can take a hit; it is the fact he is good at rolling with the punches. I do not see Diaz hurting Penn in any way. The only thing which will likely hurt Penn is his gas tank.
Diaz is not a take down artist and this fight will likely stay standing. At some point during the fight, I expect Penn to rock Diaz hard followed by a tko or knock out.....
...and then I might have to endure another GSP vs Penn.
JMMA2k1
12/23/11 12:10:37AM
Posted by prophecy033
Posted by mattjonesy
I still want to see gsp - diaz
It's rumored Diaz smokes pot, Not to sure if it's true or not so
Cooler
12/23/11 12:14:40AM
Posted by JMMA2k1
Posted by prophecy033
Posted by mattjonesy
I still want to see gsp - diaz
It's rumored Diaz smokes pot, Not to sure if it's true or not so
Yeah he puffs down, but did that really merit digging up this thread?