Nick Diaz to make play for Sergio Martinez

By Boxing News - 04/20/2011 - Comments

By Chris Kelly: Mixed Martial Arts megastar and current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz has this week revealed his intentions to step into the world of Boxing. The 170 lb Brazilian Jiu Jistsu Black Belt has previously expressed a desire to begin competing seriously as a boxer however this has previously never materialized. This week that all changed as former IFC and WEC 170 lb Champion signed with boxing promoter Don Chargin with a whole list of opponents already seemingly being considered.

Former IBF Super Middleweight Champion Jeff “Left Hook” Lacey, Sakio Bika and Peter Manfredo Jr are all possibilities for future contests whilst a proposed match up with former superstar Fernando Vargas is seemingly all but signed for. Head coach to Diaz and MMA royalty Cesar Gracie this week explained the plan for his fighter’s move to the ring; “We’re looking at a big name, you know. We’re looking at some guys with name-recognition. Maybe not the top guy in the world necessarily but someone that the public knows. I’d love Vargas to get in there with him, Fernando Vargas. It is (realistic). I know they’ve contacted him and he’s very interested so we’ve actually signed on the dotted line for that fight ourselves. Now we’re waiting for him, now.”

UFC owners Zuffa recently bought out the owners of Strikeforce, the promotional company Diaz fights as Champion for. This created a long list of opportunities and opponents for Diaz within MMA, including a title unification with UFC Welterweight belt holder GSP. Despite this, the Californian native black belt insisted “(MMA doesn’t) have anybody else for me to fight right now. I’m better than all these guys they have,”.

This of course is not the first time a Boxing vs MMA style competition has been discussed, proposed boxing matches between Roy Jones Jr and Anderson Silva as well as Bernard Hopkins and Vitor Belfort never came to fruition whilst the James Toney vs Randy Couture Cage Fight billed as “Boxing vs the UFC” brandished by UFC president Dana White as a “freak show” was a horribly one sided affair showcasing to athletes past their prime, one of whom being grosley out of shape, competing until the expected result came about in the form of Toney tapping out as Couture locked in a choke hold. Despite it’s eventual and somewhat inevitable disapointment, the contest did manage to capture the public’s imagination during the build up.

Despite the trend of recent fights of this nature falling through, Gracie insited this fight was serious and will happen, “It’s on, already. We’ve already signed for it, so. We’re looking at September-October for something like that. We’re just waiting for their camp now”. The eventual goal of team Diaz should the manage to succesfully run through a string of ex-champions and faded stars of the boxing world will be to earn an eventuial shot at current WBC Middleweight King Sergio Martinez. Whether Diaz is able to become a number 1 contender of course remains to be seen.

If Diaz hadn’t proved it previously in his career then his Strikeforce title defense earlier this month with Britain’s Muy Thai knockout speacialist Paul “Semtex” Daley demonstrated just what an incredible chin Diaz has (something that will serve him well against the likes of Jeff Lacey and Sergio Martinez) as well as carrying solid power in both hands. As far as MMA Champions goDiaz is perhaps the most proficient boxer, possesing the rare ability amongst mixed martial artists to throw punches like a boxer as well as maintaining a reasonably tight defence, this of course offers him no guarantee. Almost every boxer, professional and amateur, throws punches like a boxer they however, are not world champions. The obvious differences between a Martinez-Diaz match up as opposed to that of James Toney and Randy Couture’s is that Diaz and Martinez are both in their prime. The second and most obvious difference of all is that this fight would take place in the ring and not the cage. If Chargin and Gracie are right about their man’s boxing ability than the mismatch element is eliminated; two world class boxers competing the ring would equate to a level playing feild. On the other hand, if Diaz is not a world class boxer then what we could end up with is one man as out of his depth as James Toney found himself in the octagon.

For their part, Diaz and Gracie certainly seem to be taking the challenges presented by the sweet science very seriously. The 170 lb fighter has recently been sparring with Super Six favourite WBA Super Midlleweight Champion Andre Ward and training specifically in boxing under the tutalege of former WBA and WBC world champion Luisito Espinosa. The team behind the man all certainly have faith in his in ring ability with Cesar Gracie stating this week; “In my opinion, Nick Diaz has the best boxing/striking skills in the MMA game today” Chargin added “I truly believe that this kid has what it takes to really make for some very entertaining fights within boxing”.

If Diaz is able to step in the ring with Martinez, and furthermore be competitive, it could provide WBC Middleweight King with the long awaited, high profile big money career defining fight he’s been searching for. Having already cleared out the limited and weakened Middleweight and Junior Middle weight division, earning victories over both Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams, Martinez is now in dire need of a big name opponent to cement his legacy and status within the sport. The talented Argentine is naturally to small to step up into the popular Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight divisions whilst Welterweigh kings Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr seem to have no interest in fighting him. If the 170 lb MMA Superstar could cut to 165 lbs and put together a decent run of form within the sport it could have the potential to be an absolute mega fight attracting both Boxing and Martial Arts fans in their masses.



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