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Nick Diaz: If the money was right, I would drop down in weight to fight Shinya Aoki… but not if DREAM uses a cage again

By Zach Arnold | May 31, 2010

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A very interesting interview from Nick Diaz, who beat Hayato Sakurai at Saitama Super Arena on Saturday — in a cage. And as Nick noted, the DREAM cage is ‘not safe’ and he makes sure to state the reasons why it’s not safe to fight in.

The big takeaway, besides the Aoki headline, is that Diaz hates fighting in a cage and hates the Unified rules. Money talks and BS walks, which is why I think we’ll see him in the UFC shortly. That said, what his heart is telling him is very different than what he may end up doing for upcoming fights.

Full transcript of quotes available in full-page mode.

Please talk about your fight [on Saturday night] with Mr. (Hayato) Sakurai.

“Yeah, I was working on countering a big hook, you know, that he throws. I watch all his fights, he throws a hook really hard and likes to throw that, move his head, and throw a real hard (hook) but it seemed like he wasn’t going to throw it at me until he was going to hit me with it, so… you know, he punches hard and he’s a really good stand-up striker. I knew that, though, I know that, I know that you know it’s not like he didn’t surprise with me it because I knew I was probably to end up getting hit with something like that. I always knew he was going to take me down or was going to try to take me down and I don’t know, I think that he is a really experienced, really good fighter and I think he has a little bit more to offer to this sport before he’s done. I don’t think that he should call it quits right now.

“Usually I like to attack from the bottom, you know, and he just really gave me the opportunity this time. I think a lot of people would avoid that when fighting me, they don’t like to take me down because of those reasons. I imagine they make the assumption that you know that sort of thing might happen if they do take me down. So, usually people don’t take me down, you know, but he shot in to take me down and that’s what happens, so usually I’m throwing a lot of punches until the guy shoots in, takes me down, and I can put a game on them you know jiu-jitsu and you know set up the arm lock.

“That’s why I was, you know, I always wanted to fight Shinya Aoki. I was a really big, I don’t want to say I was a Shinya Aoki, it’s just that I felt like he got out and was able to do a lot of the tricks that I like to do before I was able to do them, you know, I guess you could say that I’m a little bit jealous in a way that he was making that sort of show before I was. But I think the reason that he was doing that is because you know he didn’t have a complete game like for instance like I throw punches so the guys wants to take me down, you know, but he comes out and he doesn’t throw punches, he doesn’t have stand-up so he just goes for what he does and then he finishes like that. I feel like if that was all I could do I would finish like that too a lot of the time, but I go ahead and throw punches.”

You and Mr. Aoki are in different weight classes. Would you be willing to lose weight if it meant fighting Aoki?

“Yeah, I would imagine if the pay is right, you know, it’s going to be a lot of hard work regardless of having to lose weight or not but… on account of that, you know, I would ask for more money.”

What is your reaction to the suspension you got from the Tennessee athletic commission?

“I didn’t hear anything about that, so I don’t even know.”

Mr. Sasahara said he is intrigued by finding someone on the DREAM roster who can beat you. Are you open to fighting both in Japan and America?

“I like fighting in a ring, so probably not if it’s in this cage again. I don’t like the way the cage is set up. I think it’s really dangerous the way the metal comes up about three inches off the ground. People are putting their foot on it, I could see it. And I was worried about getting taken down and landing backwards on my elbow and you know damaging my elbow or you know even my head even when I went on bottom that was in my head was that my head was going to touch the back of the thing and you know. So, yeah, I just… you know I really appreciate and I really want to give a good shoutout to Kazushi Sakuraba for you know what he said on his entrance because I try to say that any time I get in front of a camera or a microphone. That’s why I come here to fight, in the ring and under the PRIDE/DREAM original rules and scoring criteria and you know I just love the way that it works. I think that’s the way that fighting and Mixed Martial Arts should be.”

Topics: DREAM, Japan, Media, MMA, Zach Arnold | 8 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

8 Responses to “Nick Diaz: If the money was right, I would drop down in weight to fight Shinya Aoki… but not if DREAM uses a cage again”

  1. rainrider says:

    Sensei Nick should be fully aware that his MMA record against international level wrestlers is 0-2.

    Returning to the UFC is not an option for him because right now their welter weight division is packed with good wrestlers. I can bet he won’t make a move anytime soon because of them.

    He will stay with Strikeforce/Dream where they lack contenders with solid wrestling background.

  2. liger05 says:

    I wish Dream used the ring and ring only.

  3. Nepal says:

    Nick should be careful what he asks for. He would beat Aoki in a cage easily but in the ring, Aoki would have a much better chance.

    Nick is a big name with the hard cores, less so with the general audience. The Fitch’s, Kos’s, GSP’s would eat him for dinner. His jitz is great but those guys would shut him the F*** down. Hope he comes to the UFC tho.

    • Steve says:

      Nick would destroy Aoki in a ring, in a cage, on a wrestling mat, in the street or in a grassy meadow. The idea that Aoki would be able threaten him in any environment is just laughable. Nick is better than Aoki at every facet of the game.

      • edub says:

        This.

        Aoki is a great grappler, but so is Nick. I imagine Aoki trying to pull guard and Nick just killing him from the top with puches.

        That said I dont wanna see Nick under 170, and I really wish he favored 185 because I think that is the weight class he is the best at. Although he likes 170 more.

      • Nicholai says:

        I still have image’s in my head of Sean Sherk vs Nick Diaz fight. So no I highly doubt Nick Diaz is better at every facet of the game. I’ll wait and see what happens when Nick Diaz fights a good wrestler before you make Nick Diaz unbeatable.

        • Steve says:

          Where did I say Diaz was unbeatable?

          I said Aoki couldn’t beat him.

          Styles make fights, and nothing in Aoki’s style leads me to believe he could beat Nick Diaz. I totally agree with you that, until Nick proves otherwise, control-based wrestlers are his Kryptonite.

      • Jonathan says:

        Steve,

        I have to disagree with you. Aoki has the clear advantage in a grass field and/or meadow.

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