Nick Diaz has been replaced by Carlos Condit in the main event of UFC 137 at Las Vegas on Oct. 29. The reason? Diaz didn't show up for any of the scheduled news conferences this week to promote the fight, which made UFC President Dana White very unhappy.
White said Diaz was supposed to board a flight from Northern California to Canada on Monday, but missed both the original flight and a rescheduled flight.
"I told him after the first flight that he had to be on the next one, and he said, 'Yup, OK, no problem,' " White said.
White said he booked a Tuesday morning flight for Diaz, but Diaz missed that, too, and failed to respond to White's phone calls.
Diaz, the Strikeforce welterweight champion, flirted with the idea of becoming a boxer against former title contender Jeff Lacy earlier this year. White swooped in and offered him the St-Pierre fight on Halloween weekend in Las Vegas.
White said he was aware of Diaz's past admissions of heavy marijuana use as a tactic to battle attention deficit hyperactive disorder.
As they struck the St-Pierre deal, White said he told Diaz, "You have to promote this fight fight for me, and not do this," not specifying what 'this' was. "He looked me right in the eye," White said, "and said, 'You got my word.' "
White said after awaking this morning and dropping off his children at school in Las Vegas, he surmised, "Who says this kid's going to show up for the ... fight."
He decided to scratch Diaz and insert Condit. White said Diaz might be cut from the UFC lineup.
What's running through Diaz's mind?
"Who knows," White said. "I honestly can't answer that question. Big fight, big stage. He was going to make crazy money. I like the guy. I don't want him to not be himself. But I don't know what I'm going to do with him."
White said St-Pierre has told him Condit might be a tougher fight because he does more than stand up.
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--Lance Pugmire
Photo: Nick Diaz. Credit: Strikeforce.
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