Why Nick Diaz is His Own Worst Enemy

It never ceases to amaze that someone who is willingly fighting outside the organization which houses the best fighters in the world, the UFC, continues to laud himself as one of the best in the world. Does Diaz truly believe that the elite of the welterweight division are ducking him, that they don't desire to fight him for fear of losing? It's a ridiculous claim, one that no reasonable fan of the sport could objectively believe. Nick Diaz specifically, and the Diaz brothers generally, do a wonderful job of looking mean, acting like street thugs, and claiming that everyone who has achieved more than them in the sport are somehow lesser fighters than they.  Would I love to see GSP vs. Diaz? Certainly, but Nick Diaz fails to grasp why such a match cannot (at this moment) take place. The reason he can't grasp it is twofold: first, he has a psychological need to believe not only that he is better than all other welterweights, but that anyone who hasn't fought him is afraid; secondly, Diaz seems unable to understand anything approaching professionalism. He belongs in boxing, an interest he expressed recently (and one apparently left open on his most recent contract). Boxing is filled with criminals unable to string a sentence together who can fight like a motherfucker. Nick Diaz falls into that category. The world of educated, articulate, professional martial artists is not for him. If you're a Diaz worshiper, you'd say that he hasn't sold out, hasn't done what Dana White has consistently referred to as "playing the game".  If you're a reasonable human being, you'll see that he sees any reasonable compromise as being a bitch.  That's street mentality, not that of a professional athlete whose popularity and paychecks are dependent on the very organizations they love to criticize.  If you don't want compromise, and want to exist on street cred and a lack or rules, pull a Kimbo and upload some YouTube clips of you boxing outside Wendy's.

Is Nick Diaz incredibly talented? Of course he is. Is he one of the best welterweights in the world? Probably so, yet I'm not entirely convinced he belongs in that discussion yet.  The problem with Diaz's complaints is that he had numerous opportunities to be in an organization which would allow him shots at the GSP's of the world. He couldn't get past Sherk, he couldn't get past Sanchez, and he couldn't stop acting like a complete asshole outside of the cage.  Dana White has said repeatedly in recent interviews revolving around the main event of Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley, that Diaz would be in the UFC if he only played the game a little bit.  Therefore, Diaz has no right to stand on the sidelines and spew bullshit about other fighters ducking him when he had the opportunity to fight every last one of them if only he really wanted to. It's not the welterweight division of the UFC that's afraid, it's Nick Diaz.  A few less after-fight brawls, a few less offhanded comments, a few more smiles, and Diaz could be staring down GSP as Bruce Buffer announces "ITS TIME!", but that isn't likely to happen anytime soon. The truth of the matter is that Diaz is his own worst enemy, and he will continue to complain while unwilling to take the necessary steps towards what he claims he wants.