• UFC 137

Diaz aiming to force Condit out of title picture

ESPN staff
October 24, 2011
Nick Diaz is coming off a TKO victory over Paul Daley © Getty Images
Enlarge

Nick Diaz will attempt to put on a performance so eye-catching at UFC 137 that Dana White is forced to dislodge Carlos Condit from UFC welterweight No. 1 contender status.

When the October 29 event was initially announced, Diaz was the man heading for Georges St-Pierre's title. However, a series of missed media dates saw the Stockton fighter dropped down the card to a bout with BJ Penn.

Condit was the man to benefit as the UFC threw the former WEC king into St-Pierre's path, but now the fight has been postponed due to a knee injury suffered by the champion.

GSP and Condit are now expected to tussle on Super Bowl weekend in February next year, but the door is ajar for Diaz to sneak into that picture. A big finish against Penn, in the eyes of his coach Cesar Gracie, will make it difficult for White to ignore calls for an instant title shot at St-Pierre.

"This is the UFC so there's always that chance," Gracie said on The MMA Hour. "There's no question about it that I will ask for that if Nick has a tremendous performance and he can finish BJ, I would ask for that.

"But the biggest thing is if the fans want it. If the fans all ask for that, Dana is a smart guy. He knows the sport is about the fans. So who knows?"

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices