Diaz keeps heat on St. Pierre on eve of UFC clash

Ask 50 mixed martial arts fans and Ultimate Fighting Championship insiders for their opinion of Nick Diaz and there are likely to be 50 different answers.

Somewhere in each of those responses is almost certain to be some form of the thought that despite all of the hijinx, no-shows and bizarre rants lies a determined athlete that always comes to fight as soon as the bell rings.

Diaz will get a chance to prove that assessment tonight against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre in the main event of UFC 158 in Montreal.

It’s a fight Diaz has been chasing for years, at times even literally.

UFC president Dana White recounted during a national radio interview that one of the reasons St. Pierre really wanted this matchup was that Diaz stalked and chased him around a hotel during a fight week several months back trying to bait him into a fight.

Diaz got his wish, but was promptly removed from a scheduled 2011 matchup when he didn’t show up for a news conference promoting the event. He instead fought BJ Penn and beat up on the former champion, then immediately started calling out St. Pierre from inside the cage.

A second fight was booked for early 2012, but St. Pierre was hurt and had to withdraw. Diaz then dropped a decision to Carlos Condit and tested positive for marijuana metabolites. It was the second such failed test for Diaz, who has a medical marijuana card, and he received a one-year suspension. Despite coming off a loss and the penalty, he was granted another chance at St. Pierre.

Despite being given yet another shot, Diaz hasn’t changed one bit. It’s what has endeared him to his legion of hardcore fans and made him frustrating for his bosses to deal with his entire career.

On Wednesday afternoon, he didn’t show up for the open workout session where fans and assembled media were waiting to hear a follow-up performance to his epic ranting on a promotional conference call last week.

White was furious. St. Pierre sounded annoyed. Diaz was unfazed when he did appear at a news conference Thursday.

“Well, it was either I miss that, or I miss this, but I was going to have to catch up on some sleep,” Diaz said.

He then spiraled into his usual mix of poignant statements and downright goofiness, accusing St. Pierre and the UFC of selling “wolf tickets” in painting Diaz in a negative light to create artificial drama.

Diaz was particularly annoyed by the use of an older photo of him on the promotional poster on which he appears quite agitated, saying he would prefer a more “buttered up” photo.

It tied right in with his recent statements about St. Pierre being “pampered” and having a staff of people taking care of his every need.

What really seemed to infuriate Diaz is the narrative that has been perpetuated by St. Pierre and the UFC that the champion is particularly fired up to fight Diaz because he sees him as a bully and he has often complained of being bullied growing up.

Diaz clearly has a hard time believing St. Pierre had struggles anywhere near what he has been through growing up poor in Stockton, Calif.

“Georges likes to say I remind him of the bullies that picked on him growing up,” Diaz said while sharing the stage with St. Pierre and White. “How many times did you have a gun to your head, Georges? How many times has somebody put a gun to your head? How many of your best friends have been shot through the chest with a .45? How many of your friends have been stomped and put to sleep in a coma? How many kids put gum in your hair?”

St. Pierre has sat through some of the insults and rants, while sporadically trying to answer, but his attempts have been futile. He has been visibly agitated by Diaz during several appearances, however, and his biggest challenge tonight may be staying under control and executing his game plan. If he can do that, he is likely to get the final say.

The card includes two welterweight contender bouts, as four top challengers square off to take their place in line in the 170-pound division. Carlos Condit will fight Johny Hendricks, and Jake Ellenberger takes on Nate Marquardt on the pay-per-view card that airs live at 7 p.m. The preliminary card airs live on FX (Cable 24) at 5.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.