One day after Dana White stripped former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz of the opportunity to face Georges St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 137, White has now confirmed that Diaz is back on the card, but he’ll now face B.J. Penn:
This is crazy but here we go again! You wanted it so you got it. Penn vs Diaz Oct 27th in Vegas
Penn was originally scheduled to face Carlos Condit, but Diaz’s absence from two consecutive press conferences put the UFC in a tough spot. Condit was bumped up to the main event to replace Diaz. Now, Diaz has found his way back onto the card after Dana White mentioned that he was thinking about cutting the fighter. There is no doubt that this is a move to save UFC 137 from monumental failure.
Immediate reactions have been mixed. Many fans are peeved at the notion that White would punish a fighter by removing him from a main event title slot, then turn around and place him on the same card. Others believe Penn vs. Diaz is a dream fight that is much more intriguing. While I understand the former, Nick Diaz vs. BJ Penn is an exciting alternative.
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