Did Diaz deserve a title fight in the 1st place?
First up is Nick Diaz and whether or not he was/is deserving of a shot at the UFC welterweight title….
First up is Nick Diaz and whether or not he was/is deserving of a shot at the UFC welterweight title.
This one actually came up shortly after his no-show at the UFC 137 media event in September, but we decided arguing about him closer to his fight made far more sense.
Making the case for Diaz is feature writer Duane Finley, while lead writer Spencer Kyte takes the opposing stance.
Ready… debate!
YAY: Nick Diaz Deserves to be at the Top
Diaz has been conquering non-ranked competition for years, and the fact he hasn’t faced a legitimate wrestler since leaving the UFC brings cause for concern. With those things on the table, we have to look at the other side of this business in considering his claim to a title shot — the entertainment factor.
While Nick Diaz has proven to be a promotional nightmare at times, there is no denying the excitement he brings when the cage door closes. Diaz may not always show up for the media obligations attached to his upcoming fight, but rest assured, when it’s time to fight, he’s throwing smoke and looking to end the fight.
NAY: Nick Diaz Didn’t Deserve a Title Shot
The argument that Diaz deserved an immediate title shot based on the strength of what he’d done is Strikeforce is horribly flawed.
I can see giving him the shot because you only have one opportunity to make a champion vs. champion bout, but trying to say that beating the collection of mediocre competitors he faced in Strikeforce somehow merited a shot at the belt is ridiculous.
Diaz has beaten one quality welterweight in almost two years, Paul Daley, and he’s not even a top 25 guy right now. Everyone else dating back to his welterweight championship tilt at Strikeforce: Miami fell somewhere between average and being an average lightweight.he fight.