Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz? Hurdles exist, but UFC president open to idea
by Dann Stupp on May 01, 2011 at 7:00 am ET
TORONTO – The UFC's current crop of welterweights has little to offer, and with a super fight with middleweight champion Anderson Silva apparently unlikely, what's next for 170-pound titleholder Georges St-Pierre?
It was the big question after St-Pierre's decisive but heavily panned decision victory over Jake Shields in Saturday's UFC 129 main event.
But UFC president Dana White has a potential solution: a fight with Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz.
White, who addressed the possibility in a post-UFC 129 press conference at Toronto's Rogers Centre, admits there are hurdles to the fight. There are Diaz's plans to box professionally later this year, and there's also public uncertainty over his Strikeforce contract and what (if any) rights Showtime has to the fighter's future bouts.
There's also, of course, Diaz's supposed unwillingness to "play the game," as White says. After all, if White were to move Diaz over to the UFC and give him a title shot, he doesn't want to see what he saw at UFC 129 weigh-ins with brother and event fighter Nate Diaz.
"I talked to them again here tonight," White said after the soldout UFC 129 show. "When they got off the stage [Friday], the were yelling [expletive] at fans, and Nate Diaz starts flipping everybody off when they get off the stage. Everywhere we go, I talk to those two first and say, 'Be cool. Everything is going to be good, right?'"
"They're unique individuals, those two. I like them. I like their attitudes. I like their styles. You've got to play the game a little bit, please. And please don't flip off fans and threaten to kick everyone's asses."
But if Nick Diaz can make that commitment, is a return to the UFC a legit possibility? After all, since leaving the organization in 2006, Diaz is 11-1 and now ranked among the world's top welterweights.
Despite the UFC's recent purchase of Strikeforce and his promise that business would continue "as usual," is there anything that could prevent White from setting up St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) vs. Diaz (25-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC)?
"I can do what I want to do," White told MMAjunkie.com.
White even took an informal poll of media members after the press conference to gauge their interest in the potential bout. With the pros far outnumbering the cons, White seemed even more intrigued by the idea.
But there are hurdles, of course.
"I've got to go talk him about boxing first, and then we'll see what happens there," said White, who said he plans a trip to Diaz's Stockton, Calif. home for a chat. "I do respect Nick Diaz's boxing. He's got good boxing for MMA, but boxing and MMA are two totally different sports, man – two totally different sports."
If the fiery competitor is willing to put his boxing aspirations on hold, a shot at UFC gold could be a hell of a consolation prize. After all, the UFC's current contenders – such as Jon Fitch, Carlos Condit, Dong Hyun Kim, Thiago Alves and Jake Ellenberger – either already have lost St-Pierre or present significant marketing hurdles, which isn't good for St-Pierre, a fighter who's been dominant but far from flashy in recent bouts.
Which makes Diaz all the more intriguing option.
"It's an interesting fight," White said. "I was there live for that last fight (Diaz's TKO of Paul Daley). I was blown away by Nick Diaz’s last fight. He looked incredible."
