The Worst Part of Nick Diaz's Fallout: The Disappointment of Cesar Gracie

By now, almost everyone in the MMA world has caught wind of Nick Diaz's crazy antics and removal from UFC 137.

Whereas most people have focused on the loss of the main event, the losses might run much deeper.

As fans, it's easy to forget that, through it all, Diaz has lost something even more important. He has lost the respect of his team and trainers.

Business comes and goes. Diaz can live without the UFC and he can live without MMA.  

But he humiliated the people who have stuck by him and Cesar Gracie, the man who gave him his black belt in BJJ and was there for him even when his own father wasn't.

Diaz has stated before that his father wasn't in his life when he was growing up. However, Gracie was and helped train and teach the young man about martial arts. He gave Diaz a way to make money after the boy dropped out of high school, having only attended his freshman year.

Gracie has been the surrogate father Diaz never had. He did everything he could for Diaz over the years to help him. Even with the buildup of events around this fight, it shows how much Gracie was willing to sacrifice for Diaz.

Gracie helped make the fight happen. He helped make Diaz the fighter he's become over the last 10 years. He has worked tirelessly for Diaz's best interests. He even volunteered to go on the plane with Diaz.

The most telling part is that Gracie left his biological son's birthday party to drive Diaz to the airport so he could make the press conference. While he waited, Diaz snuck out the back door and drove off.

If that doesn't sound like a father, I don't know what does.  

And just like a father truly seeing their son for the first time, Cesar seems to finally being noticing Nick Diaz. Not Nick Diaz the student, not Nick Diaz the fighter, not even Nick Diaz the black belt.

Instead, he sees Nick Diaz the troubled young man, complete with personal demons and all.

Gracie is being quoted with saying he is not sure where his relationship with Diaz will go or if it will even continue. If they do part ways, then I believe that Nick Diaz will have lost more than a big payday.

He will have lost another father and a chance to make things right.