Nick Diaz Requests Rematch with Georges St. Pierre After UFC 158 Defeat
Nick Diaz has a message for UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.
“To be honest, I’d like a rematch,” Diaz said in an interview with Fox Sports after falling via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 158 at Bell Centre in Montreal. “Georges St. Pierre, if you would give me a rematch, I’d really appreciate it, because I think I can beat you.”
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“Like I said, I’m trying to retire and get out of this gig, but I would like a rematch [with St. Pierre],” Diaz told Fox Sports. “I think I can beat you, I really do. I think I can stop the takedowns in the first two rounds, and you’d have to fight me the whole fight, and I think I’d beat you. I’m not hurt.”
Diaz found himself on the bottom during much of the bout’s opening 10 minutes, with St. Pierre using jabs and superman punches to upset the Californian’s timing and set up double-leg takedowns.
“I think I could have stopped the takedowns. I think I could have gotten the takedowns, come to think of it. I was just really flat,” said Diaz. “I slept like all the way until eight o’clock at night. This Canada thing, I knew it was going to be something to deal with, but I didn’t know if the sleep that I was getting today was going to work with me or against me. The third and fourth round, I felt real good. The fifth round, I was a little worn out, but the first two rounds, I think I was just moving really slow. I was hoping for a knockout.”
Diaz did have his moments in rounds three and four, catching the champion with flurries of clean punches to the head and body. Ultimately, however, St. Pierre continued with his takedown attack and stifled much of Diaz’s ground game, earning scores of 50-45 in a clean sweep with the cageside judges. Though Diaz believes his business with St. Pierre remains unfinished, the former Strikeforce titlist does not appear certain that his request will be granted.
“If I don’t get a rematch, then who am I going to fight? I’m not going to fight any of these guys out here. They came in after me. Georges is the only one,” said Diaz. “I’ve done everything I set out to do. I’ve fought everybody who started when I did in my era. I don’t want to get in there and jump around with these new kids. I don’t think Georges wants to fight Anderson Silva. I really don’t think he does, so if he [doesn’t], and they make that Johny Hendricks [match], Johny Hendricks is probably going to get worked. Whatever happens there, I’ll take a rematch if I can get it. I doubt he’ll give me one. I don’t think he wants to fight me again.”
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