UFC 143 Results: If Nick Diaz Retires, How Will He Be Remembered?

After dropping a hard fought, unanimous decision to Carlos Condit at Saturday night's UFC 143, Nick Diaz has called it quits on his mixed martial arts career.

This loss was a devastating one for Diaz, preventing him from facing titleholder Georges St-Pierre and breaking his 11-fight winning streak.  Believing that he won the fight, Diaz also stated that he was tired of playing the politics that go along with being in the fight business.

There's no telling if this retirement will actually stick, but if Diaz really is done with MMA, then it's a fitting end to the perplexing career of one of the sport's most controversial figures.

Throughout his entire professional career, Diaz refused to play by the rules.  Even his style, an odd combination of technical precision and brawler's fury, mirrored his tendency to always take the hard road.

If he had just played the game, met his media obligations and simply acted like the other fighters, Diaz could have become a household name years ago.  

But that's exactly what Diaz hated.  

To him, fighting wasn't a game nor meant to make him famous; it was war.  Everything else didn't matter.

There's no question that Diaz will be remembered as a champion, one of the all-time best.  But he'll also have people looking back and thinking that he had potential to be so much more.

All the controversies and antics will overshadow Diaz's great in-the-cage moments.  Even his legendary work ethic will be mired by his misunderstood personality.

If this retirement is for real, then Diaz will go down as one of the sport's most intriguing characters.

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