• UFC 158

Diaz fuels fire with media no-show

ESPN staff
March 14, 2013

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Nick Diaz has further raised the tension ahead of his UFC 158 welterweight title fight with Georges St-Pierre after failing to show for the scheduled open workouts in Montreal.

Main card fighters are expected to fulfil the open media workouts before a main event but Diaz, who challenges St-Pierre for the welterweight title this weekend, bemused a host of media present with his absence from the workout.

This is not the first time that Diaz has skipped media duties; he was pulled out from his first title shot at GSP at UFC 137 after failing to turn up at pre-fight press conferences in Toronto and Las Vegas last year.

Tempers ahead of the bout have already been stretched to breaking point with former Strikeforce welterweight champion Diaz becoming involved in a number of heated verbal slanging matches with St-Pierre.

MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani tweeted: "Diaz was supposed to be here 45 mins ago. They are looking to track him down. Still no sign of him at the workouts."

Confusion arose further when reports that Diaz's handler and trainer, Cesar Gracie, had stated UFC President Dana White had given Diaz permission to miss the workout.

However, White, who was appearing as a guest on the Jim Rome show, issued his surprise following Diaz's failure to show.

"I literally just found out Nick Diaz did not show up for the open workouts today in Montreal," White said. "Let me tell you what, there is no shtick with this kid, I mean it's - he's just a different animal man, he's absolutely hard to deal with.

"Well, let me tell you what, if he does not show up tomorrow for the press conference, it is not going to be good. I don't know what I'll say or what I'm going to do, but I'll tell you what - it will not be good."

Meanwhile, St-Pierre, who entertained the workout crowd by giving out signed merchandise, believes Diaz's disappearing act has not changed anything ahead of the fight.

When asked about Diaz's no-show, St-Pierre said: "It doesn't change nothing in my life. I don't worry about him. I worry only about myself on that point. I don't care."

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