Nick Diaz Lost Major Money With His UFC 137 Antics

Source: F4Wonline.com

Nick Diaz cost himself a chance to take home not only the UFC welterweight title and the position of being the top-ranked 170-pounder in the world, but a seven-figure income by failing to attend a pair of press conferences.

Diaz, who was scheduled to meet UFC champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137 in October, was removed from the bout and placed in a fight with B.J. Penn after he no-showed events to promote the card alongside GSP.

Diaz has had several excuses for missing the pressers, none of which have been all-that-important.

Now, according to Wrestling Observer writer Dave Meltzer, Diaz was set to earn a seven-figure check after the pay-per-view cut was handed out for his fight with St-Pierre.

"Diaz was punished for no-showing in a big way, including being taken out of a fight he's wanted for years and basically his career in the UFC was at stake if he wouldn't have faced Penn," Meltzer wrote in his subscription-only Wrestling Observer report that BloodyElbow.com received a copy of. "The difference in what he's going to make fighting Penn in the semifinal with what he would have made against St-Pierre is said to be in the seven figures due to the PPV cut. He's also out of the title picture, at least for this year. He's gone from seven figures, even if he lost, to essentially very slightly more than he would have made had he fought Tyron Woodley in Strikeforce for the welterweight title he vacated to get the St-Pierre fight."

Of course, we all could be back at Diaz-GSP is Diaz defeats Penn and St-Pierre takes care of Carlos Condit at UFC 137, as it would leave Diaz the top contender, once again, for the title.

Dana Becker is a staff writer for FightLine.com. He can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DanaBecker.