Strikeforce’s Nick Diaz: “People Think GSP’s Better Than Me and It’s BS”

Nick Diaz and Georges St-Pierre

There are a lot of fighters who will take exception to many of the rankings in the world of MMA. One person who is more than happy to let his feelings be known is Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, who keeps calling out Georges St-Pierre because everyone tries to tell him that St-Pierre is the best fighter at 170 pounds.

Well if that’s what everyone is saying, he is tired of listening to it.

Diaz, who spent several years with the UFC early in his career, has spent the last few working for different organizations including EliteXC and Strikeforce. During that time he’s established himself as one of the toughest competitors at 170 pounds, and thinks it’s high time people recognized his work.

“I think I got here and started fighting before most of them, including Georges St-Pierre in the UFC. I was really mad because they were getting fights and recognition when I was here first. I thought it was first come, first serve. I was working harder and I was here first,” Diaz commented on Thursday.

Diaz also brought up St-Pierre’s last opponent, Josh Koscheck, who he believes deserves no place among the top fighters in the welterweight division.

“Josh Koscheck, I cornered a guy to fight Josh Koscheck, he probably had two fights in his life, and this fight he was set up to fight Josh Koscheck. They made easy fights for those guys. This guy’s got like six or seven fights, all easy guys. I never fought anybody like that guy that’s fought against Josh Koscheck,” Diaz explained.

“We’ve got some guy who doesn’t even fight, he drinks at a bar, and we took him to fight Josh Koscheck one day. He didn’t even know who he was fighting. I’ve never had fights like that. So when you bring up guys like that to me and tell me they’re the best fighters in the world, it’s a (expletive) joke.”

While it’s true that Diaz is in a different promotion than St-Pierre or Koscheck, he believes that the organizations could work together to make the fights happen that the fans and critics want to see.

“Straight up, people think this guy’s better than me and it’s (expletive),” Diaz said about St-Pierre. “He just fought Josh Koscheck for (expletive) five rounds, I just told you about Josh Koscheck. Why are you saying he’s the best? What is that (expletive)? Because we fight for different companies?

“I think it’s big enough to where they can get enough money involved where they can organize that show.”

It’s obvious Diaz is more than willing to face anybody that steps in to fight him, but if there is a consolation prize it’s the fact that he believes his teammate will take the crown off of St-Pierre’s head come April 30 at UFC 129 in Toronto.

“Right now, what do you want? You guys rank that guy above me. I want to fight GSP, but I think my partner (Jake Shields) will take him out regardless,” said Diaz.

He also named UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva among his dream fights, but ultimately he wants to prove he’s the best whether it’s against St-Pierre or someone in Strikeforce. He’s ready for the test.

“It’s a joke to me. This guy may be a good fighter now, but these guys that are ranked up there, I was here first and that’s fine,” Diaz shouted. “Let’s fight then and make it happen.”

Damon Martin is the lead staff writer and radio host for MMAWeekly.com.
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