One of the UFC’s top fan favorites proved his worth on this day 14 years ago.
Nick Diaz has a host of memorable victories, performances, and moments on his mixed martial arts résumé, which includes showdowns with the likes of Georges St-Pierre and title glory under the Strikeforce banner.
But not many of his fights can hold a candle to the UFC 137 main event on this day, October 29, in 2011, which saw Diaz make a statement in his return to the Octagon after five years away.
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Nick Diaz battered BJ Penn in UFC 137’s Fight of the Night
There was plenty of controversy and debate surrounding the UFC 137 pay-per-view.
Diaz made his return to the promotion at the event after a successful stint in Strikeforce, where he had won all six of his fights. That run included becoming the organization’s inaugural welterweight champion and defending the title successfully twice.
After Diaz knocked out Paul Daley in an all-time classic, he made his way back to the Octagon. While a title fight with St-Pierre was initially expected to await him, the Stockton star was replaced by Carlos Condit after missing a press event to promote the fight.
Diaz still found himself in the UFC 137 main event, however, after a knee injury canceled the Canadian champion’s headlining matchup with Condit.
Closing out the show in style, Diaz battered BJ Penn in a fashion not seen before en route to a unanimous decision verdict. While the pair earned Fight of the Night honors, it was largely one-way traffic after a strong first round for the ex-lightweight champion.
And the beating was so bad that the Hawaiian even announced a shock retirement aged just 32.
“That’s probably the last time you’re ever going to see me,” an emotional Penn said. “I can’t keep doing this.”
The retirement was short-lived, though most fans wish it had stuck. Penn returned the following year and would go on to lose his next six fights before his career finally ended for good.
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Nick Diaz complained about his UFC pay in front of Dana White
While Dana White announced Diaz would fight St-Pierre straight after his UFC 137 victory and Octagon callout, the Stockton native was still less than pleased at the post-fight press conference.
There was tension on stage as Diaz publicly complained about his pay while sat alongside the UFC president. The former Strikeforce champion claimed he was unable to compensate his team with enough money to allow for the best possible training camp.
“I didn’t get the right type of sparring that I was needing,” Diaz said. “I didn’t spend enough time with my trainer the way that I should have.
“It’s been back and forth about a lot of things this whole time I had training for this fight. … I put in the hours and did everything I was supposed to do…(but) I was real upset, fighting with everybody about getting the right sparring.
“They’re not taking care of me because they’re not compensated,” he continued. “My team needs to be compensated. The people around me, they’re not getting nothing out of it.
“They are not getting paid like they should. My sparring partners are not getting paid like they should. That’s why nobody wants any part of this…and I don’t blame them.”