Count UFC President Dana White among the many interested suitors interested in possibly securing the services of 25-year-old mixed martial arts veteran, Nick Diaz (18–7), now that Elite XC is no longer.
That is, of course, if the Stockton, Calif., native can cool his temper outside the cage.
"I think Nick Diaz is a bad ass. Nick Diaz is a tough kid," White said in a recent radio interview with TapouT Live. "Nick Diaz doesn’t handle himself right all the time in public. I like him -- I respect him as a fighter. I love his attitude. I love the way that kid fights. But you can’t do the stuff that this kid does in public. You can’t get into fights when the fight is over … you can’t do that stuff."
White is perhaps referring to an incident in the wake of UFC 57: "Liddell vs. Couture 3" in 2006 when Diaz was so fired up that a decision didn’t go his way in a fight against Joe Riggs that he dropped "Diesel" in the hospital afterwards.
He remained with the promotion after the post-fight fisticuffs, going on to lose his next bout against Sean Sherk via unanimous decision. The defeat to the "Muscle Shark" was his third straight inside the Octagon; however; Diaz, felt at the time that he should have won all the fights during that rough stretch.
Diaz would go on two fight twice more under the UFC banner, collecting stoppages over Josh Neer and Gleison Tibau, before signing on to challenge Pride FC golden boy, Takanori Gomi, once his contract with Zuffa expired.
He initially defeated the "Fireball Kid" with a thrilling submission (gogoplata), ending a explosive clash that up until that point was an absolute war. However, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) changed the result to a "No Contest" when Diaz tested positive for marijuana in his post-fight drug test.
Diaz signed with upstart promotion Elite XC quickly thereafter in early 2007, emerging as one of its most marketable stars. And while he failed in his attempt to capture the vacant 160-pound title, Diaz put together a solid record (4-1) while with Elite XC (and one fight with DREAM).
Of course, Diaz -- who had been a staple in the UFC 170-pound division for several years -- would be an instant force in the lightweight division if he were to return to the organization and compete at 155.
His younger brother, Nate Diaz, currently competes in the category and has enjoyed tremendous success, including winning the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).
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