UFC 137: Does Nick Diaz Really Have a Shot Against BJ Penn?

Before I even start, I feel like I should let it be known that I’m a huge Nick Diaz fan.

My desktop background is the infamous picture of Diaz giving Frank Shamrock the finger before their Strikeforce bout. I constantly throw my buddies in submissions and scream “209” and I am even a proud owner of a “Don’t Be Scared, Homie” t-shirt.

Obviously, I think Diaz is a hell of a fighter.

But over the last few months I’ve seen fans and MMA journalists alike try to convince me that Diaz was going to beat Georges St-Pierre, and once the matchup was switched, BJ Penn.

And with all the Diaz love that I have, I’ve had the same reaction every time: Seriously?

No one can deny that Diaz is an extremely entertaining fighter, and he is obviously talented both standing up and on the mat, but is he really on the level of two of the greatest fighters of all time?

The St-Pierre argument was mostly to convince people to buy PPVs and I understand that, but everyone saying that Diaz has a chance against Penn is insane.

Where does Diaz have an advantage against Penn? Absolutely nowhere.

If the fight stays on the feet, Penn having been called the best boxer in MMA by famed boxing coach Freddie Roach, and for good reason, is relevant.

Penn is the owner of one of the best jabs in the business and is nearly impossible to hit, but perhaps more important, he can explode on an opponent in a moment's notice.

Watch Penn’s fight with Matt Hughes at UFC 123 to see how quickly he can take out an opponent.

If Diaz somehow drags the fight to the mat—which is unlikely considering Penn’s superior takedown defense—the fight is supposed to be even since they both have BJJ blackbelts.

People seem to have forgotten that Penn is one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world, having earned his black belt in just three years and winning the world championships shortly after.

That’s not to say that Diaz can’t catch him on the mat. After all he’s a highly skilled BJJ guy himself, but it is unlikely that he can pull it off.

Throw in Penn’s wrestling ability, which he used successfully during the first round of his fight with Jon Fitch earlier this year, and there is almost nowhere that Diaz has the advantage.

Diaz is a fantastic fighter and one of the most polarizing fighters in the sport, but let’s face it—he’s not even on Penn’s level.