Dana White Comments on Diaz vs. Penn
“To tell you the truth, the excuses he gave me made no sense. You’ve interviewed Nick Diaz before. You know what I’m talking about. But I started thinking about this: This kid is a real fighter and I love the BJ Penn-Nick Diaz fight. He always does show up to fight. We have trouble with him doing p.r. We also sometimes have problems with [his brother] Nate, whom I have a great relationship with, in getting him to do his p.r. What basically happened is, Nick freaked out. He disappeared. He told me he couldn’t handle the pressure of the main event. It wasn’t that he couldn’t fight it or wouldn’t have fought it, but all the responsibilities that come with fighting in the main event, he said he couldn’t deal with that. The fighting part is the easy part to him.”
In a quote via graciefighter.com, UFC president Dana White gives his side of the UFC 137 card switch of main and co-main event.
Having demoted Nick Diaz from the main event to the co-main event against BJ Penn, White is convinced that regardless of the circumstances, a Diaz vs. Penn fight is one destined for greatness.
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Penn by ko!!!!!
Depends on which BJ shows up to fight! IF the BJ that showed up to fight Diego Sanchez shows up…oh hell…then I have to agree with you. Going to be a great fight, for sure. If BJ isn’t in TOP form though…Nick will pick him apart.
“DEPENDS ON WHICH…” SHUT THE **** UP! THATS THE MOST PLAYED OUT SHIT THAT PEOPLE SAY AROUND HERE. THERE IS ONLY 1 BJ PENN, YOU EITHER ON THIS SHIT 100% OR NOT. THE PEOPLE WHO EXPECT SO MUCH FROM A FIGHTER OR WHOEVER ARE THE SAME BANDWAGON FANS THAT BAILS WHEN THE PERSON THEYRE CHEERING FOR LOSES OR HITS A ROUGH PATCH IN THEIR CAREER OR LIFE.
totally agree…WAR PENN NATION…
this girl cant handle her palm bays hahaha
A ****ing men!..
Depends on which BJ shows up. There’s only one BJ, but two different fighting BJs. The one that doesn’t have his mind on d fight n no cardio (Edgar), n d one that is ready to destroy n has ants in his pants to do it (Sanchez, Sherk, Hughes). I’ve been a fan since day one. N to NOT acknowledge ‘lesser’ BJ is dishonoring him. U wudnt tell ur BFF she looked good when u know she looks like crap. That wudnt b a friend. Even BJ’s family n team wud tell him if he was off. U av to know ur weaknesses to strengthen dem. That bein said, I say BJ by RNC.
By your logic, EVERY fighter that loses can blame it on “the wrong fighter showing up.” Can it be that maybe—JUST MAYBE—BJ loses ’cause he’s facing an opponent with more heart? More speed? More adaptability? Listen to some of BJ’s post-fight interviews and he’ll say himself that he had a great camp, but lost to a “better fighter.”
Besides, PLENTY of fighters have “off days” and are still able to win. So can you really blame an “off day” every time BJ loses? Maybe the answer is more simple—that BJ is like Vitor Belfort.
What I mean is—If BJ or Vitor can dominate or control you immediately, they’re going to DESTROY you. If they can’t figure you out within the first two rounds, their will & heart slowly shuts down.
The sad truth is, NEITHER of them really know how to make a comeback. You can blame this on “the wrong fighter showing up,” but more than likely, they just fought a better fighter that night.
As for his “cardio,” MAYBE the reason he gasses out is because he’s dealing with opponents who push the pace—leaving him completely flustered. Guys like Hughes, Edgar, and GSP start off losing, then after figuring out BJ, they simply outwork him. PERIOD.
The reason he had “cardio” against Florian, Sherk, and Sanchez is because they couldn’t take him down. Instead, they pushed him against the fence, gave him time to breathe and land big shots.
its only one BJ!!! either you with him or you not!
I hope the BJ that shows up is the same one that had his soul raped by Fitch. And since there is only one… I think i’m in luck! : )
You’re pathetic.
e = Erad? Have to agree 100% brother
sorry man i cant control alcohol.
LMFAO! That shit was priceless, my man!
Man, that made me laugh my ass off!
i like penn vs diaz more than gsp vs diaz. 2 guys really good at jiu jitsu and have good boxing. i think bj is gonna win by split decision
yup – Penn KO
War Penn….Diaz seems to have some issues….maybe he can’t handle the crowds/media…I actually know people like that.
This is goning to b a great fight
They don’t want Nick representing the UFC welterweight Belt… compare him to the other champs. all the other guys are nice guys well outspoken,are well mannered and know how to deal with the responsibilities that come with the belt. Nick on the other hand would probably just do his own thing and the UFC can’t predict what he would do next whether he would rock up to interviews, signings or maybe shows (not fight shows) and if he can represent the UFC likve a champ. thats my thought on that….
This is the truth, and this is what Dana has said 100 times about Diaz.
Besides, Diaz KOing the greasemaster would end any chance at the “superfight” between Silva & GSP.
Anyone see a theme, here… like Dana White protecting these two fighters… even from each other?
Except for Brock!
I have to go with my boy Diaz but both Penn and Diaz are very evenly matched. I do agree with what was said earlier too though.. If Penn shows up looking like he did against Diego, almost no one can beat him.
i agree with DW, especially the last part.
I kind of want Diaz to loose just to be a wake up call for him. At the same time if he brutally KO’s BJ then he can get Condit next after Carlos beats GSP.
Either way it’s a win win.
Yeah, Condit, of all people, will nullify GSP’s wrestling and ground and pound for 5 consecutive rounds. Another thing, it’s very very hard to knockout or even TKO Nick Diaz because of his incredible cardio. BJ Penn by split decision.
Rory would’ve won by decision if the ref didn’t stop the fight against Carlos…which honestly was way premature. Gsp will beat him.
GSP will win u guys are so wrong its funny….And people hating on GSP? well, its a BJ website, so that’s not a shocker….but he’s not even peaked yet….Anderson SIlva didnt even start brutalizing people as far as finishes are concerned until he was in his 30s…..didnt become champ until around then….GSP is gonna be brutal….especially since he’s working with Freddie Roach….Psshhh u goes guys know nothing about the fight game….And if BJ doesnt die before the fight, he will show up, and he will **** Diaz up like its goin outta style…and u can take that to the bank
Thank you T Scott for educating. I’m still waiting for Ken Shamrock to “peak” do you know when that will be? GSP track record seem to be showing a decrease in skill,
Anderson Silva won his MW title in his 2nd fight in the UFC. Even before he got into the UFC he was considered one of the best p4p fighters on the planet. All the UFC did was give him way more exposure. As for GSP not peaking, he’s peaking right now. He’s in his prime as we speak. GSP will NOT get much better than he is right now. As for Penn-Diaz, Diaz is going to DESTROY Penn. He’ll keep him at the end of those long jabs and hit him with those nasty body shots and just pepper away at his face. Prepare to see Penn get destroyed on the feet like never before. Diaz cardio is amazing and his boxine improves by leaps and bounds whenever he steps into the cage. It seems to me like you know nothing about the fight game :p
**** him up baby J!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bj is just as big of a fight as gsp….. i dont understand this whole thing.
There isn’t as much media responsibilities because it isn’t the main-event/title fight.
Now that i’ve calmed down a bit after the fact Diaz vs. Penn is a fantastic fight, it’s one of those rare instances where i don’t really want to see either lose though…
BJ’s got the upper hand on the bjj, boxing, speed and strenght but if he doesn’t finish Diaz in the first, Diaz will win. BJ is the best p4p fighter in the world but only for the first five minutes. After the first round his game just starts to drop and he gets over worked by the other fighters.
he couldnt deal with it??? the pressure??? sounds like a bitc.h move to me
junkie is a hoe
everything in your ear sounds like a bitchh cuz ur ear is attached to a bitchh.
both of you r funny,acting like a child..
If Diaz cant handle all the media attention and what not that comes with a title fight and being a champ in the UFC then why is he here? What does he hope to accomplish in this org? be a gatekeeper?
he’s here to fight.
I would rather see a guy who shows up to fight and dosnt do PR, then a guy who can do PR all day long and fights to a decision 4 out of 5 times.
Amen to that
premature even rory admitted he was getting his ass kicked at the end and agreed with the stoppage he wasn’t defending himself wasn’t doing much so they stoped legit stop..
Both fighters have very similar fighting attributes! Its gonna be a tough challenge for both of them, but as a fan I’ll of course have to side w/ BJ! In my “eyes”, I just see him being superior over Nick in every aspect of this fight! But above all, win or lose, I just want this to be a very exciting fight….”Fight of the Year” status! LOL
I don’t consider this a demotion at all. Besides fighting for the belt, BJ Penn would have been my second choice to fight Nick Diaz. How ****in’ awesome! You have to fighters that have made names for themselves in the cage literally looking to punish their opponents standing and on the matt. Two highly-regarded jiu-jitsu practitioners that have made a living off the motto “Kill, or be killed”. Can’t wait for Oct. 29th.
Penn has better technque boxing,but I believe Diaz has some crafty and effective boxing skills and Diaz has a relentless pace that BJ cant handle
b.j will beat diaz to the counter punch all day every day…PENN NATION…..
Like the waves in the ocean.. there are ups and downs… I really feel this one in a series of waves that Penn will be carving history with
What’s the point of Penn vs Diaz? If it’s a title eliminator, what happens if Diaz wins? They plan another main event title fight around him against GSP or Condit and then the exact same thing happens when it comes time to promote that fight? He must have seriously reassured Dana that it wouldn’t happen… or Dana isn’t giving him a chance in the fight.
This will be a very exciting fight. 2 elite fighters with 2 completely different approaches.
Penn vs Diaz…………..Penn will win because he wants to win. Diaz is very dangerous but his head is in the wrong place.
Yeah his head will be on the canvas after a nice punch by BJ….
I follow you on tumblr, glad to see you here!
Wait, how are BJ & Diaz’s approaches “completely different?”
Both are excellent BJJ practitioners who’d rather box than grapple. What sucks is this switch creates a bad stylistic matchup for both Condit & Diaz. Condit had a GREAT chance of beating BJ because of his tremendous heart and ability to adapt in the middle of a fight (one of BJ’s biggest weaknesses).
Diaz, on the other hand, is probably the only person in the welterweight division with a chance of beating GSP. Always threatening off his back (if GSP wants to wrestle) and carries serious TKO power with his counter-body shots (if GSP wants to work his jab).
But these new bouts spell trouble for the new title contenders. Penn will more than likely be able to get in and out of the pocket while trading with Diaz; while GSP will simply outclass Condit (sounds absurd till you remember how much trouble Condit had with GSP Jr.—Rory MacDonald).
NOW, don’t get me wrong. I really, really hope I’m NOT right about this. I’d still LOVE to see Diaz vs Penn & Condit vs GSP. But if this all leads to GSP vs Penn III, then all this fight switching was just a BAD idea.
Kinda feel bad for the nickster w his social disorder..maybe Bj will knock it out of him.
Bj should win because although Nick Diaz is fast, he isn’t the type of explosive fast that Bj is. Bj can easily eat a slap boxing shot and throw a KO punch. Diaz has reach but he doesn’t have Edgar speed. Nick Diaz is pretty elusive but more because he beats them to the punch and throws them off… Unlike Edgar/Anderson Silva elusive who basically just dont get hit much!
I’m almost positive Bj will eat a slap boxing shot or avoid it while slipping in and landing a big shot. Daley showed that you can hit Nick Diaz. I think if Daley can hit him with a big shot Bj can too. And he can recover well but Bj will swarm him better or take the top position on the ground with more confidence at that point.
Not a big fan of Diaz personality and attitude. But am a huge Penn fan.Looking forward to this fight. Although Diaz is a great fighter all around like BJ , it’s gonna be a war. Penn by decision .
Bj via Diaz a no show, excuse, too many people in the building
Bottom line is this, BJ is a beast and comes to fight! He doesn’t turn down fades, Tap, or Nap, is yet to be dropped or even KO’d. Look at his losses, different weight classes, and every single loss has been against past, or current champions of the sport in one of the top shows around the world. I don’t count the first GSP fight a loss. I know if he ever decides to fight Edgar again it’s gonna be a bad day for Edgar. He has great hands, hits harder than in my opinion anyone in LW or WW. He got so use to beating the shit out of everyone that he strayed off what made him great, his Jiu-Jitsu! He did it against Fitch the BJ that took you down and beat the shit out of you there or made you Tap. If he fights like that sticks to his bread and butter (Jiu-Jitsu) the KO’s will come cause nobody wants to get taken down by him. It will open the chin cause the hands will drop to sprawl, and if it doesn’t they are still ****ed cause there on the ground with him. If he doesn’t spend 4 out of 5 rounds chasing Edgar around trying to get Edgar to have some balls and sit in the pocket and fight like a real fighter he will win every time. Diaz has heart, good combos, attacks the body well, excellent Jiu-Jitsu, (not world class like BJ) and fights like a man, but a very dumb man cause he doesn’t faint much, just bangs chin for chin. He has been fighting top contenders foe the last 3+ years but top contenders in the smaller shows, and when he gets hit by BJ he will realize two things before he goes to sleep, 1) Holy shit! I can’t believe how hard he hits, is my jaw still on my face! 2) his chin is better than mine! Thats probably gonna be the last thought that goes through his head before BJs fist goes through it. God forbid he runs his mouth too cause we all love how BJ reacts to that! ****’n LOK’D out, talk’n to himself animal style. Penn Nation 4 life!!!!!!!
I hope condit kicks GSP’s ass… The BJ/Diaz fight will be a war!
Yes it’s so wonderful that BJ ain’t again against some l&p wrestler and i can actually see Condit ko’ing gsp.
There’s only one BJ.
Frankie is too fast for him.
GSP is too big for him. (better TDs/topgame)
Other than that he destroys just about any LW or WW you put in the cage with him.
baby jay is overrated. by far and away the most over hyped fighter next to Fedor. Oh he kicked Diego’s ass. BIG F’ING DEAL!!! After Diaz puts it on him for a couple rounds we will se that look in BJ’s face, That i just lost and dont want to fight no more look and he will quit, like he did with GSP.
gtfo josh you ugly ass mother****er, if you wanna be on bjs website repect him, or else gtfo, and bj kicked gsps ass when he was a young little bastard
haha did you just call me ugly. haha do you know me or are you just not smart enough to come up with a response or insult above the 1st grade level. Wow, that was priceless.
I can only se two ways on how this fight will go:
1. BJ testing Diaz on the feet for a minute or two, then he will take him down. BJ wii then rain blows on Nick; take his back and RNC Diaz in the first round
2. BJ will swarm Diaz early and knock him out!
Sorry diaz fans
josh go suck diaz bros balls!
Don’t forget BJ has fought the best of best. Who has Nick fought? Huh. I’m sorry, what? Nick has some skills, but that’s it, some.
BJ is a champ, Nick is a bum.
where is baby jay a champ at???? i am confused..last i checked he was beaten twice by a guy who should be fighting at 145. How come baby jay couldnt just muscle him around like GSP did lil bj penn??
Which one show’s up? Seems to be the first question taught, at armchair quarterback university.
josh you are the definetly the most dumb uneducated mma fan ever and probaly ugly 2 as bjnuthugger said..how do you compare bj to been over rated and like fedor…bj is a two weight champion..fighting in the no.1 organisation in the world and if and when he beats diaz which will be a great fight he will be no.1 contender..dumb mother ****er
Baby J kick Diaz’s A$$. Josh get educated before you show your ignorance in the MMA world. BJ has mad skillz that cater to Diaz’s weaknesses. The ONLY advantage that Diaz has is reach and crafty counter punches. BJ’s weakness in the past has been cardio as every one knows. He did not have cardio problems with Frankie in the second fight, who is a much better fighter than Diaz and pushes the pace ten times harder. Speaking of Frankie, he will get his due when Grey Maynard knocks his ass out out cold instead of just making him punch drunk like last fight.
Whatever you say bruh!! If he does get his due, it wont come from baby J who couldnt beat a true 145lber. He is a multiple weight champion, which is true but who was actually fighting when he won the WW title? And his LW title was pretty much given to him after he fought Jens “punch drunk” pulver. Joe stevenson=garbage, Sean Sherk w/out steriod=garbage, then he got busted up and QUIT against GSP. He fights kenflo who chokes everytime he gets a title shot and beat up a very overrated Diego. Gets beat twice by frankie and loses against fitch(you all know damn well he lost that fight). yup your favorite fighter is way way overrated. cant wait till he is done fighting…
The Penn, Diaz fight will be a war, this IS the main event. I hope Condit wins…can’t stand the phony GSP.
It will be a good fight but anyone predicting a KO of Nick Diaz should go rent Diaz’s previous fights cause that prediction makes no sense. Ive seen that dude beat to a pulp for like 10 minutes, bleeding all over himself, and then come back and win the fight. BJ might win but a KO is not in the cards….probably not either way. Two tough SOBs
Nick Diaz is an all around well disciplined fighter and im sure Bj is as well. so the way i see this is a win is a win and not everyone is going to be happy with the outcome. sorry to say but if i were a betting man and iam, id have to go with Nick. we will see soon enough either way. so kick rocks .