UFC: If Nick Diaz Defeats BJ Penn, Dana White Is Ready to Give Him a Title Shot

Despite blowing his UFC 137 title shot, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz is likely a win away from receiving another opportunity to contend for UFC gold.

The controversial welterweight star wasted no time in stirring up drama in his UFC arrival earlier this year.

After being awarded a shot against Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title at UFC 137, Diaz missed two scheduled press conferences for the event, which forced UFC President Dana White to remove him from the card.

Welterweight contender Carlos Condit was awarded the shot in Diaz's place, and Diaz was moved to the co-main event to face former two-division world champion BJ Penn.

A win over Penn would be a monumental step in the right direction for Diaz, who is looking to get back in White's good graces and fight for the UFC title.

If Diaz manages to defeat an all-time great like Penn, would White be willing to forgive past mistakes and award the Stockton native another title shot?

"Yeah," White told MMAWeekly. "I saw Nick when Nate won. He was at that fight. I saw him, and everything seems good. He seems like his head is in the right place, and we're ready to go."

As far as skipping out on mandatory press conferences, White believes that's all in the past.

"I don't see that happening again," White stated. "If it does, then I don't even know what to say. It is what it is."

"We don't babysit man. He knows, we've talked, and I seriously would be shocked if he didn't show up at another press conference," he said.

UFC 137 is scheduled to go down on October 29th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It could be put up or shut up time for Diaz, who has complained for the past year about lackluster opposition.

It doesn't get much tougher than Penn.