In terms of matchmaking, Kamaru Usman vs. Nick Diaz is almost as stupid as Kamaru Usman vs. Canelo Alvarez. Fortunately for those with half a brain, UFC President Dana White is not a fan of either contest and recently put the kibosh on the Usman-Diaz fantasy fight.
So much for that end-of-year title shot.
“Especially for as long as he was off and you know, he’s … listen, there’s no denying the Diaz brothers are tough kids,” White told Yahoo! Sports. “But talk to me about Nick Diaz versus Usman? Usman is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. I need to look out for Nick and make sure that Nick doesn’t get hurt.”
Usman (20-1) is the winner of 19 straight with nine finishes during that span. “The Nigerian Nightmare” is expected to rematch top contender Leon Edwards at some point later this year. As for Diaz (26-10, 2 NC), he’s been stuck in the loss column for over a decade and has competed just four times since late 2011.
Perhaps it’s time to start looking at someone outside the Top 15 … or stop looking altogether.
UFC President Dana White is concerned enough for the well-being of Nick Diaz that a fight with welterweight champ Kamaru Usman is apparently off the table.
“I don’t want to see Nick Diaz get hurt,” White told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports.
White praised Diaz’s recent comeback, a UFC 266 rematch with Robbie Lawler that ended in the third round by retirement. Leading up to that moment, Lawler hit Diaz with several heavy shots, and the former Strikeforce champion’s punches and movement were noticeably slower than his previous showing, a unanimous decision loss to Anderson Silva six years ago at UFC 183 that resulted in his third suspension for marijuana use.
Diaz, 38, remains one of the most popular fighters outside the cage and recently told TMZ he planned to fight again this year. He also called out champ Usman, the No. 1 welterweight and pound-for-pound fighter in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.
The tough talk generated headlines across the MMA sphere, but White said he and the promotion aren’t setting up any return fight “that I’m aware of.”
On a potential fight with Usman, White indicated Diaz is no condition to fight the champ.
“Talking about Nick Diaz vs. Usman, Usman is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world,” the UFC exec said. “I need to look out for Nick and make sure Nick doesn’t get hurt.”
Give him Matt Brown. Main event of a Fight Night. Diaz gets an easy W as a main eventer and a quick pay day and he can build off that W
Would he an extraordinary easy W looking at Brown in his last fight but he said he wants one more fight so give him a big name. Fuck it
Notice he doesn’t say “Nick has had one fight in a million years and lost…what title fight???”
Because that’s not how UFC operates. Titles based on sales instead of merit.
Mas would be the perfect opponent for Nick. Headliner so we get 5 rounds
Nick looked so shitty and slow his last fight, that I don’t ever want to see him fight again in the UFC…
zactly
Those crazy Diaz kids.
This was my exact train of thought after reading the firstpost, where the fuck has logic gone? When rankings don’t matter, fights don’t matter, that means titles don’t matter, and eventually that means organizations don’t matter…
This as well!
Only thing Dana trying to hurt on Nick is his damn pride firing off shit like that lol
Danas hilarious, I’d love to party with him!
x2 !
just that this fight got any traction in the media is quite silly.
Nick should fight Nate, so nate gets a win and can be released to fight utuber Paul, or nate takes a loss then fights Paul gets beaten and then Nick tries to revenge fighting Paul
The way Nick threw a hook to the body against Robbie with his hands down and chin up in the air scared the hell out of me. He’s going to get KTFO doing that. His age is really showing.