Some would possibly say that Nick Diaz blew his golden chance for UFC 137 when he did not show up to 2 press conferences and got yanked out of the most event.
In the larger image, Diaz came back to the UFC with simply the maximum amount hearth and vigor as he was expected to own, and ended up with a dominant win over a legend in B.J. Penn, in what is also his final fight within the Octagon.
A assured Diaz virtually caused his fight with B.J. Penn to happen twenty four hours earlier at the weigh-ins when the 2 fighters butted heads and had to be separated. This was when per week where each Diaz and Penn showed the utmost respect for every alternative.
Once it had been fight time but, neither fighter gave the impression to be a devotee of the opposite.
Diaz came out aggressive early, however found himself on his back courtesy of a B.J. Penn takedown. Penn was robust and quick within the early a part of the fight, controlling Diaz along with his boxing and slipping in shots when stuck within the clinch.
Everything modified when spherical 2 began.
In his traditional fight mode, Diaz plodded forward and commenced to throw his signature boxing combos that apparently grasp no finish. The Stockton, Calif. native blasted away at Penn with combos that never extremely over-involved because the Hawaiian began to bleed from his nose and his eye swelled up sort of a balloon.
Penn never fell, however he definitely wasn’t feeling sensible when Diaz simply blitzed him with punches to the top and body.
The final spherical saw a additional active Penn, who tried his best to fireplace back in little bursts whereas it had been obvious that his cardio was failing him. Diaz simply sat back and waited for Penn to slow and then cracked him time and time once more with jabs then unloading the occasional rib shaker body punch.
When the ultimate horn sounded each fighters were bloody, however Diaz held his hands high in victory whereas a broken and overwhelmed B.J. Penn looked dejected in defeat.
The scores all went in Diaz’s favor and also the former Strikeforce champion, who was originally purported to face UFC champion Georges St-Pierre, didn’t waste any time calling him out when the fight.
“Where you at Georges? Where you at mother (expletive)?,” Diaz screamed.
“I don’t assume Georges is hurt, i feel he’s scared. i feel he’s scared to fight everyone immediately. Where you at Georges?”
The cameras at UFC 137 found St-Pierre with a smile on his face and he created a motion as if to mock Diaz that he was truly scared to fight him.
When his attention turned to B.J. Penn, Diaz was terribly respectful and gave credit to a fighter he said he found to and was a devotee of for several years before Saturday night.
“B.J.’s the man, I invariably loved watching him fight,” Diaz said.
The most surprising moment of UFC 137 could have return when Diaz finished talking as a result of as UFC commentator Joe Rogan approached a bloody B.J. Penn, his words were spackled with finality.
“Hats off to Nick Diaz, he’s the person. Joe, this is often in all probability the last time you’re ever planning to see me in here. i need to perform at the highest level. That’s it,” Penn said.
“I’ve got a daughter, another daughter on the manner, I don’t need to travel home trying like this. I’m done.”
The heat of the instant could play a region during this, however if Penn’s resolve stays an equivalent he walks away called one among the best and preferred fighters to ever grace the UFC cage.
Nick Diaz meanwhile can possible continue his verbal assault on UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, however he could ought to expect a jiffy to truly confront him within the cage as a result of Carlos Condit can get following crack at the title within the early a part of 2012.
