Dana White refuses to release 'nutty' Nate Diaz from his UFC contract

Is normal.

That's what Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White had to say about the "nutty" behavior of former lightweight number one contender Nate Diaz, who demanded his unconditional release last month on Twitter, perhaps to test the open mixed martial arts (MMA) market.

Or maybe he just wanted attention.

You never really know what's going on behind the scenes with either of the Diaz brothers, but there was a mild shake up a few weeks back when Gilbert Melendez inked a deal with Bellator MMA, only to have Lorenzo Fertitta swoop in to make the save.

Regardless, White told reporters at today's UFC Fight Night 37 media scrum (watch it) that Diaz is here to stay.

"He hasn't called me. Is that how we do these things? You tweet? The answer would be no. He just signed a new contract that he was happy with a month ago. That's definitely not controversial for the Diaz brothers, that's called normal. I've got 500 guys under contract, and there's always something. Every day when I wake up, there's something. The crazy thing about this thing is, I actually like the Diaz brothers. Are they nutty as hell? Yes they are. But I like both of them, and they're fun to watch fight."

As for Nick, well that's another story.

Diaz (Nate) has experienced his share of turbulence during his career inside the Octagon (and his coach isn't helping matters). Despite his inconsistency at 155 pounds -- as well as his penchant for jumping weight classes -- the wily Stockton slugger has a fan-friendly style that is known for racking up performance bonuses.

Every dollar counts.

In any event, it sounds like Diaz will be sticking around for awhile, which is sure to please the 209 fans. All we need now is to get him a suitable opponent, preferably not Russian, and we can get back to the business of butt kicking. Or at least until the next Twitter meltdown.

Shouldn't take long.