If it seemed like Nick Diaz was
fighting well below his usual standards at UFC 266 last September,
there’s a pretty good reason for that, according to coach Cesar
Gracie.
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While Diaz’s return against Robbie
Lawler marked the Stockton, Calif., native’s first Octagon
appearance in more than six years, he was dealing with more than
just age and ring rust. Diaz, who called it quits 44 seconds into
the third round of the bout, was also battling a pretty serious
neck injury.
“So Nick, he went into that fight and his neck was pretty messed
up,” Gracie said in an interview with Submission Radio.
“Robbie’s a great, tough fighter and everything. And, Nick was
doing great. And then you kind of see Nick kind of just kind of
fading as the fight wore on. So, Nick had an operation very
recently here seven weeks ago. So, two of the discs had ruptured in
his neck before the fight. So, he was having numbness of the hands.
That’s why he didn’t make 170. He fought at 185, is cause it was
impossible to train. He just didn’t have any strength. He didn’t
have what you’re used to, the Nick Diaz, you
know, he didn’t have it.”
Those circumstances would normally dictate that a fighter withdraw
from a scheduled bout, but Gracie says that wasn’t an option for
Diaz, who was facing financial concerns with both the Nevada State
Athletic Commmission and the Internal Revenue Service.
“Nick pretty much had to take that fight. There was a lot of things
weighing in on him. What people don’t know is that the commission
in Vegas was still demanding their money from, remember the
marijuana test that we didn’t pass,” Gracie said. “…Even though
it’s legal, they said ‘You still owe us that $75,000.’ I think it
was some insane amount. You know, it was like ‘What? You still have
to pay it? Even though it’s legal now?’ When that happened, it
wasn’t, and we want to, and so we gotta. You’re gonna have to
deduct it from your fight purse. And Nick really hadn’t signed the
best contract in the world.
“And so what happened was, they said, we’ll pay you more money, but
you have to fight this fight here, and on this date. It was a
thing. It was like, if you don’t take that fight, you’re almost
gonna fight for free, you know, by the time [you pay the taxes and
the fine]. Obviously, people know, that’s not a secret, he had
some tax issues in the past. He had to pay that fine, which, you
know, it was just, you had to do it. It was like, well, Nick, he
had his back on the wall. And it was one of those unfortunate
things where he had to fight, and that’s it.”
Diaz has since had the the operation to repair the two ruptured
discs, and Gracie claims that the former Strikeforce champion is
eager to fight again, this time closer to peak form. Diaz, who
recently turned 39, hasn’t won a fight since besting B.J. Penn on Oct.
29, 2011.
“So, we finally were able to go and he got an operation and he put
the titanium discs in his neck. So, he’s feeling great from that
right now. And it’s like we’re getting the old Nick back, which is
really good,” Gracie said. “So, now that that’s happened, we’re
waiting for the doctors. He’s got another appointment I think next
month. And then he should be cleared to start his hard training
again. Because right now he can only run and hit the pads and
everything.
“But he definitely wants to fight. And the UFC, I’ve been in
contact with them, they just actually called me the other day
asking about Nick, and there’s some pretty cool fight options that
are in front of us.”