UFC
Nick Diaz reportedly lost out on seven-figures with UFC 137 swap; almost backed out of B.J. Penn fight
Sep 15, 2011 - 10:00:46 PM Nick Diaz reportedly lost out on seven-figures with UFC 137 swap; almost backed out of B.J. Penn fight

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Nick Diaz's inability to comply with the UFC last week has not only cost him a title shot against Georges St-Pierre, it's also reportedly cost him a substantial amount of money.

Dave Meltzer, in the latest edition of The Wrestling Observer newsletter, reports that Diaz lost out on a pay-per-view cut that would have garnered seven figures. Additionally, Meltzer reports that Diaz may not immediately get a title shot with a win over Penn.

When he no-showed two press conferences last week and fell off the map, the UFC took him out of the UFC 137 main event and put in Carlos Condit. They then gave him an opportunity to keep a roster spot and offered him the fight with B.J. Penn that Condit was initially scheduled for.

However, Meltzer reports another interesting tidbit in regards to that matchup. Apparently Diaz had second thoughts about taking the fight over this past weekend, and was "making noises at not doing the match." He also reportedly "got word to the Penn camp that because of his respect for Penn that neither he nor [his] brother Nate would ever fight Penn."

He's supposedly had his mind changed, and is expected to still go through with the fight in Las Vegas on October 29.

Link to WrestlingObserver.com (Subscription Required)

Penick's Analysis: It's incredible that Diaz was seriously considering not going ahead with the fight against Penn. After what happened with losing his title shot, accepting and then reneging on the fight with Penn would have been the absolute worst move he could have made. I suppose it's not entirely surprising given the events of the last week that Diaz would go with an ill-advised course of action, but it appears he'll continue with the Penn fight and that's best at this point. He's lost enough with getting taken out of the main event and losing his pay-per-view cut, and he would have lost his roster spot with the UFC had he not taken this fight when it was offered to him.