Update: Nick Diaz No-Shows UFC 183 Open Workouts, But Is Now In Las Vegas
Nick Diaz’s agent Lloyd Pierson may have “re-assured” Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta, and the rest of his Zuffa employers and fans that his trash-talking client is not A.W.O.L. and headed to Las Vegas for his pivotal UFC 183 main event against Anderson Silva this weekend (Sat., January 31, 2015), but if today’s open workouts are any indication, well, that just isn’t the case.
According to MMA Fighting’s Marc Raimondi via the UFC’s Dave Sholler, Diaz elected to not show up for today’s (Wed., January 28, 2015) open workouts because he simply isn’t in Las Vegas yet (as Pierson said he would be). The Stockton slugger’s bags were apparently sent to Vegas as Diaz was in the airport yesterday but ultimately elected not to board his flight:
Dave Sholler says Nick Diaz did not get on flights yesterday or this morning. They are confident he’ll be here this afternoon.
— Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) January 28, 2015
Sholler said that Diaz was at the airport yesterday and “elected” not to get on the plane. His bags arrived in Vegas. Diaz dos not. — Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) January 28, 2015
While this is certainly something we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from Nick and his younger brother Nate, its yet another unfortunate example of the brothers refusing to take part in the media obligations they clearly signed up for when they agreed to the UFC’s contractual terms.
White has always said that Diaz could be a much, much bigger star if he would only “play the game,” but it’s painfully clear that he just isn’t willing to do that. He was yanked from his scheduled UFC 137 title fight with Georges St. Pierre after he skipped out on multiple press conferences, but it’s way too late for him to get pulled from his fight with Silva.
After missing the UFC on FOX 13 open workouts, cutting out of an interview early, and missing weight, Nate Diaz got absolutely obliterated by current title challenger Rafael dos Anjos in the card’s co-main event.
With a disturbingly similar trend developing, will his brother fall victim to the same fate?
*UPDATE*
Diaz has apparently arrived in Las Vegas this evening, as Dana White heralded his arrival on Twitter:
The 209 is on the 702!!! #nickdiaz @ufc #UFC183 pic.twitter.com/8p5xd4XEeR
— Dana White (@danawhite) January 29, 2015
Photo Credit: Eric Bolte for USA TODAY Sports
