UFC Quick Quote: Nate Diaz didn't know he was fighting Benson Henderson weeks before UFC on FOX 5

"He didn't look good. I don't think it was indicative of who he is, he had a bad night. Not a bad night. I'm not going to say that. He got beat by the better guy that night, for sure... You could see it even in the weigh in, with his physique. If you look at the last fight before that, you know. These fighters, they got to prep correctly. There were contractual issues and stuff like that. I mean people don't know this, but literally a couple weeks before the fight Nate wasn't even sure he was fighting. It was that bad. We were having problems with certain things. It got resolved, but you know, it's hard to train for a fight like that with that mentality when you're not happy with certain things and everything. It was a mistake on his part, you got to just put all that aside and Henderson, that's what he did, and that's why he's the champ today. But it's a learning experience and we're going to move on... So it goes for all of us, me, you, Nate. It's a life experience, he's going to move on from it."

-- Cesar Gracie, who serves as coach and manager to former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight No. 1 contender Nate Diaz, tells BJPenn.com that just a few weeks prior to UFC on FOX 5 in December 2012, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 5 winner was unsure if he would even be fighting Benson Henderson for the 155-pound title due to contractual issues with the UFC. The exact nature of the contractual issues were not revealed; however, Gracie seems to imply Diaz's preparation was effected in a negative way because he wasn't completely confident in the fact his upcoming fight would even take place. Henderson defeated Diaz in a lopsided decision in their fight; out striking and outmuscling Dto win every round on all three judge's scorecards. Gracie claims he is not making any excuses for the 27-year-old fighter, but it's hard to take it any other way when such details come out three months after fight night.