Dana White: We Want Nick Diaz If He Can 'Play The Game'

[Rappy Veteran]

Current Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz is widely considered to be one of the top 170-pound fighters in the world, as well as one of the most controversial. As is often the case when a fighter proves himself to be legitimately high-caliber outside of the UFC's eight-walled cage, people begin speculating what would happen if that fighter joined the UFC's thoroughly stacked roster (e.g. Fedor Emelianenko).

Though Diaz spent a solid portion of his early career fighting in the UFC, he has established himself as one of the best while competing in other promotions. So it is that many MMA fans wonder how Diaz in his current form would fare against top UFC welterweights, namely 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre. During a Q&A session with troops prior to the UFC Fight for the Troops 2 weigh-ins, UFC president Dana White gave his thoughts on Diaz fighting in the UFC, as well as on his brother Nate, who currently competes as a UFC welterweight.

"Nate Diaz is on the Toronto card, too. I'm a big Nate Diaz fan. I like him a lot ? him and his brother," White said. "The problem with Nick Diaz is Nick won't play the game even [a little]. You can't [flip off] the athletic commission. You can't tell people ? you have to play the game a little bit. When Nick Diaz wants to play just a little bit ? and nobody's telling him not to be who he is and not to act the way he wants, but you've got to play a little ? when he does, we'd love to have him back in the UFC."

Diaz has achieved quasi-cult hero status for his out-of-the-cage antics, which include instigating a brawl with Joe Riggs in a hospital after the two fought for three rounds at UFC 57, participating in the live-on-network-TV jumping of Jason "Mayhem" Miller at Strikeforce: Nashville, and more than one altercation with former rival KJ Noons and his father, to name a few.

Diaz has indicated a willingness to "play the game" in past interviews and he has been very vocal in his search for bigger paydays as of late

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[D. S. Veteran]

It would be a great move for him if he could just tone down his antics a bit. His next title fight is a joke against Evangelista Santos who just now dropped down to 170 pounds and got a title shot per Strikeforce's Bizarro MMA rules of title contention. If GSP moves up to 185 to fight Anderson Silva, they are going to need some interesting talent or else the division will be run by Fitch and Fitch 2.0 aka Jake Shields. It would probably end up in a TUF season of Fitch vs Diaz and that would be ratings gold.

[aessap]

It would be a great move for him if he could just tone down his antics a bit. His next title fight is a joke against Evangelista Santos who just now dropped down to 170 pounds and got a title shot per Strikeforce's Bizarro MMA rules of title contention. If GSP moves up to 185 to fight Anderson Silva, they are going to need some interesting talent or else the division will be run by Fitch and Fitch 2.0 aka Jake Shields. It would probably end up in a TUF season of Fitch vs Diaz and that would be ratings gold.

That would be a great TUF matchup. I've always like the Diaz brothers.