• UFC 129

Diaz to discuss GSP fight, St-Pierre warned by Gracie

Georges St-Pierre needs a challenge at 170lbs © Getty Images

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For all the fallout from UFC 129, and an update on Dan Hardy, don't miss the next ESPN UFC Podcast on Tuesday

Cesar Gracie claims Nick Diaz is a bigger superstar than Georges St-Pierre, and he told the UFC that he is "looking forward" to discussing a potential superfight between the pair.

St-Pierre chalked up a sixth consecutive welterweight title defence against Jake Shields at UFC 129, but once again he did so in uninspiring fashion. The Canadian is now on a nine-fight win streak, but that record is bettered by Diaz who is into double figures.

Momentum is gathering for a Strikeforce champion v UFC champion superfight, and Gracie insists St-Pierre needs the Diaz fight if he is to stop losing fans.

"Nick is a superstar already," Gracie told MMA Mania. "Wherever we go with the guy, everybody, fan support, whether you love him or hate him, you have to respect his fighting style.

"You got a guy like GSP and he's fighting to just win and you've got a guy like Nick Diaz, who's fighting to beat your ass. The fans, I think know the difference now and I think that's why if you go to forums, if you wanted to talk after this particular show (UFC 129), look at all the amazing things that happened: Randy Couture retiring, that's huge. You had that great kick from Machida, you had so many things happen that were phenomenal but what most people were talking about is Nick Diaz and he didn't even fight.

"You want to talk about superstardom? Nick Diaz is the superstar right now and he didn't get there by playing any games. He's not gonna play the game. He is who he is and I think people are finally getting sick and tired of the BS and the polished answers. These guys [like St-Pierre] are great athletes but they're not fighters and a guy like Nick captures the imagination of what MMA is truly about or was supposed to be about.

"He's still a little bit 'out there' but he's a lot more mature. I think there's a great storyline with this guy. He's a truly, genuinely, nice person if you really know him and I don't think he has to change anything myself ... I think it would be disingenuous for him to be all polished and glossed over and fake and it's just not what we're all about."

Gracie is now awaiting the arrival of UFC president Dana White in Stockton, where White will attempt to convince Diaz not to switch to a more lucrative career in boxing.

"Dana said he was coming out to Stockton where Nick lives to discuss it with him," said Gracie. "We don't really know what he has in mind to be honest with you. We can do hypotheticals all day. I don't know. How bad is GSP's eye? Is he going to have to take six months off? Why couldn't Nick box and then go fight GSP, that kind of scenario.

"If the eye is really not that big of a problem, and they want the next fight with GSP five months from now or whatever to be Nick Diaz, obviously it would be delaying quite a money-making contract in boxing. Is he just gonna give up all that money? There's so many questions right now and the only person that has the answers to it are Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta so I'm very much looking forward to meeting with those guys.

"Styles make fights and it's no secret that Nick probably has the best hands in MMA right now. He really does. He knocks out all the guys that are supposed to knock him out. There's no question in my mind that GSP would not stand with Paul Daley for example, but Nick did and knocked him out. Cyborg, all these guys that GSP would feel extremely threatened by, Nick would stand and beat them up.

"I do not believe that GSP has better stand-up than Nick Diaz. I think Nick is the superior striker and if that was a stand-up fight, I think Nick would come out on top and that's an interesting match-up because Nick's jiu-jitsu is world class also. He has a great guard. He submits people, he doesn't get hurt. That might be a nightmare for GSP and the only way to know that is to have the two guys fight. We'll see what happens."

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