Ceasar Gracie hopes for Nate Diaz title fight by December 2012
The Diaz Brothers’ coach and manager, Ceasar Gracie, met with UFC president Dana White yesterday to work out a new deal for Nate Diaz (16-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) and discuss the future of Nick Diaz (27-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC).
White tweeted that a new deal was done for Diaz, who had one fight remaining on his previous contract.
Just wrapped up another deal with @natediaz209 and @cesargraciebjj
— Dana White (@danawhite) August 7, 2012
Today, Gracie today told MMAjunkie that they have not come to terms on the number of fights: “We agreed with the principles of it. Usually, we do four-fight deals, and they want a longer contract.”
Nate Diaz is waiting for a title shot against the winner of UFC 150’s title bout between Champion Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar. No date has been set for such a match, but Gracie wants to see it happen by the end of this year: “Best-case scenario would probably be it happening in December, but it depends. Frankie Edgar gets hurt a lot. A guy like Ben Henderson, he’s such an athlete, and that guy is more sturdy, and he wants to get back in there. So if Henderson were to win, and he’s relatively healthy, we’re looking at the end of the year.”
With regard to the elder Diaz Brother, Nick, who is still under suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission; he will remain on the sidelines until the term of his suspension is up. Diaz tried to appeal the suspension in a Nevada Court, but the decision was upheld.
According to Gracie, Diaz’s legal team may be looking at another appeal: “Theoretically, if a judge says he’ll look at it and it will take a couple of months, he could put a stay on the suspension and at that point, Nick would be more than free to fight. But that’s an if.”
