Nick Diaz: “Bottom line, I’m the only draw…”
by: Mike Chiapetta | source: msn.foxsprts.com
On Saturday, in the Mandalay Bay Events Center, fights were going on, but backstage at UFC 170, it was Diaz who became the main attraction, reporters scurrying to find out what exactly he was doing back in the place he left behind.
Was he here as a fan? Was he here for a business meeting? Was this an end to his semi-retirement?
In a very Diaz kind of way, he somehow spoke without answering all of the questions. But one thing – the most important thing – he made very clear. When it comes to a UFC return, it’s title fight or bust.
“Yeah,” he said when asked if that was the case. “I’ve been fighting for 11 years. I already did all those [contender] fights. I don’t have to take a warmup fight. Why would I take a warmup fight? To help somebody out? To bring them to my level? I’ve already been through all that and you still didn’t see me take an ass whipping.”
“I don’t care, I’m talking about a title fight matchup,” he said. “Bottom line, I’m the only draw here. Bottom line. We had like the third biggest [pay-per-view]. That wasn’t just because of Georges St-Pierre. And these guys aren’t doing that. People want to pay to see me fight, they want to see someone get knocked out or someone get tapped out, or they want to see me get my ass whooped like they’ve been waiting to see but they still don’t get to see.”