Where, oh where has Nick Diaz gone?

Nitesh Dutt
CSNBayArea.com

Throughout the history of Mixed Martial Arts there have been fights made, fights changed and fights cancelled. With the recent string of fighters pulling out due to injuries, makeshift matches have become the norm in the UFC.

Rarely do these changes affect title fights and even less have taken place due to a fighter's sudden disappearance.

That has become the case for UFC 137's main event title fight. What was supposed to be Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz versus UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, has taken a twist.

This week was supposed to be filled with press conferences and stare-downs for the much anticipated title fight. One problem: Diaz was nowhere to be found in media events schedule in Toronto and Las Vegas. His disappearing act has cost him big.

UFC President Dana White announced that Diaz has been pulled from his Oct. 26 fight and replaced with Carlos Condit. Condit-GSP is still an intriguing fight, but it's not the fight that many had hoped to see headline UFC 137.

"I've promoted over 1,600 fights in my career," White said. "This has never, ever happened once. Never. We've never had a situation where a guy just goes MIA and doesn't show up for this stuff."

Diaz has never been one to run away from a fight. Many close to him knew he was ready to fight GSP and wanted this opportunity. Those same people are astonished that he's been a no-show.

There will be speculation as to why he had not shown up to the pressers, but no one should speculate that it is a lack of desire to fight or fear of his opponent.

"I knew what I was getting myself into when you get Nick Diaz," White said. "I didn't expect this, but I expected some problems and headaches over the next couple of months. But I didn't expect this."

It is easy to look at Diaz's "rebellious" attitude and checkered in-ring past could have foreshadowed all this, but he has shown a passion to fight recently.

Whatever his reason may have been for "disappearing", Dana White did right by his fans and promotion by replacing him on the fight card.

MMA's relationship with Diaz was unstable and fragile before all this. This recent act of his might be the last straw for many in the fight community. 
 
Follow me on Twitter: @NiteshDutt. Check out more MMA news @InsideCageCSN and at Inside the Cage on CSNBayArea.com.