Why is bj penn fighting nick diaz

Yet every time this guy fought, electricity filled the arena. He never backed down when the fists were flying, never backpedaled, never stopped trying to finish a fight. And he never ran from an a—whipping if he had to be on the receiving end once his cardio had betrayed him.

And, in my mind, even before he ever stepped into the cage, Penn was a force to behold. BJ Penn embodied the power of anticipation.

You can feel in that moment, while witnessing his accelerated swagger toward the cage, that he is not only fighting for himself, out of personal pride, but for the pride of all his people. Only Hawaii has just 1. It is a role that differentiates him from nearly all other fighters, who fight for their own fulfillment and dreams.

With BJ, despite a rather privileged upper class upbringing, it is always as if he had showcased extra heart because he would much rather suffer tremendous physical agony than disappoint his people, his fans. Even when his legs went wobbly in the Octagon, even when his heart-rate shot up and lactic acid overwhelmed his muscles — as they did in contests against Georges St-Pierre , Jon Fitch and Diaz -- he dared not let his fellow Hawaiians down.

He dared not quit, even when his not-quite-in-peak-shape body screamed for him to quit. Those songs hold deep symbolic meaning to the Hawaiian people, signifying unity and a preservation of their proud island culture during times when outsiders tried to take their lands. We all learn how to fight in the backyard with the boxing gloves or wrestling.

I'm just doing what my manager says. Diaz is focused on the job at hand, and he plans on going into UFC and defeating Penn. Even so, he is still upset at the fact that St-Pierre won't be standing across from him.

For months, Diaz has talked about facing St-Pierre, and when he finally was awarded the opportunity, he let it slip through his hands. St-Pierre may be one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but Diaz feels like he has the tools to topple the champion and take his place among MMA's all-time greats.

I don't know if this fight is going to make me come off any better or worse," Diaz said. I don't think he would have been able to do that to me, especially in a five-round fight. Diaz was suspended on multiple occasions because of failing drug tests for marijuana use, including a five-year ban courtesy of the Nevada State Athletic Commission in September He appealed that suspension and got it reduced to 18 months and it was eventually lifted in August He has since signed an agreement with NSAC to compete again.

Diaz has a career record of 2 NC , with 13 wins coming by way of knockout and another eight via submission. He held the Strikeforce welterweight title in and defended it successfully on three occasions before opting to vacate the title in The result later is overturned to a no contest after Silva tests positive for several anabolic steroids and Diaz again tests positive for marijuana.

It is Lawler's first knockout loss since the Diaz bout 12 years earlier. April 9, Diaz is banned for a year by the U. May 24, Diaz is arrested in Las Vegas on felony domestic battery charges. Two months later, the charges are dismissed when the district attorney declines to pursue the case. A gentlemen never tells. Skip to main content Skip to navigation. Robbie Lawler 1. Masvidal injured; fight vs. Edwards off UFC Godinez set for record 3rd UFC fight in 43 days.

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