Nick Diaz Camp Responds to Mayhem Miller's Claims That He's Scared

The announcement that Nick Diaz would rematch KJ Noons on October 9th was met with mostly scorn and contempt. Fans wanted this rematch but they wanted it a long time ago. Now, the timing just isn't right. It reeks of desperate match-making. Jonathen Snowden wrote a scathing piece about what a failure this has been on the part of Strikeforce to miss an opportunity to put together Diaz vs Mayhem Miller. He made an interesting remark in that post:

This would have been the most talked about Strikeforce fight of the fall. Instead we're going to get just another fight, with just another bland build. I never thought I'd say this to Nick Diaz, a fighter I once called "the greatest man to ever live." But the situation demands it:

Don't be scared homie.

Now finally we have a reply from the camp of Nick Diaz. On Tapout Radio, Cesar Gracie brings us the info we've been waiting to hear:

'We've never been offered that fight. Some people may be saying 'are you ducking Miller?' but we've never been offered that fight with Miller. He didn't duck him. It was brought up in a brief conversation with Strikeforce...it was agreed that whoever they want to put in there, it was their decision. As our contract works, if there's a different fight that Nick has to go move up in weight, well then there's some negotiating room and what I can say is that if you do pick Miller, I would like to see it at 170. If Miller can't make 170, we're very open to a catchweight however for Nick to have to go up in weight to 185 to accommodate Miller, it just doesn't make sense.

"Number one, Miller's record doesn't justify anyone having to come to him. His last five fights he's won twice. Nick won seven in a row, he's a champion. It's more of a fan-favorite fight so we'll do it, but probably at a catchweight but if Miller isn't willing to do that , then 'don't be scared homie' may apply to him."

"What if he called out Gilbert Melendez, would he tell Gil to move to 185 so he can fight? Its ridiculous. Why even bother to call him out? I would probably ask to fight someone more important in the fight world today if Nick is moving up to 185. We're above that."

Transcription via Middle Easy. This is an interesting development and exposes the matchmaking decisions of Strikeforce. If Diaz is open to the fight and Mayhem has been everywhere already promoting it then what is the reason not to do it? I can't think of a single good reason not to. They could use the excuse that it wouldn't make sense from a sporting perspective but when you are Strikeforce you need to take what you can get, when you can get it. Opportunities like this don't come along all the time. It's too bad they've blown yet another perfect opportunity for a fight that would interest everyone.