UFC 137: Nick Diaz Will Dissect BJ Penn in Instant MMA Classic

As disappointing as it was to see Georges St. Pierre withdraw from UFC 137 so close to "go time," his absence has made way for what is sure to be an incredible fight between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz.

Diaz was originally supposed to challenge GSP for the UFC Welterweight Championship but was demoted by president Dana White when he missed out on several scheduled media appearances. White subsequently bumped up Carlos Condit from his fight with BJ Penn to face GSP and put Penn and Diaz together in the second headliner.

Then, once GSP pulled and Condit was left without a competitor, Penn and Diaz took over top billing.

And that's how we are where we are today.

Confused? Don't worry, it'll be a great fight regardless.

Both of these fighters have been around the block once or twice in the world of MMA. "The Prodigy" is practically a living legend in the UFC and has very little to prove in this fight. Penn has competed in nearly every weight class and was the second man in UFC history to claim title belts in two different divisions, the first being Hall of Famer Randy Couture.

As for Diaz, he still has something left to prove. He's competed in seemingly every MMA circuit, past and present, with championships in the Welterweight divisions of Strikeforce, WEC and IFC to his credit. Saturday's bout will mark Diaz's return to the UFC and, as previously mentioned, it was supposed to be his opportunity to claim a title in the world's most popular fighting league.

Nonetheless, a win over Penn should put Diaz in position to challenge GSP (or whoever defeats him first) for the UFC Welterweight Championship.

The key to victory for Diaz is to keep Penn upright and lure him into striking and boxing. Diaz is a hard-nosed, stand-up fighter who can take a beating and wear down his opponent in the process. He's capable of competing on the mat, though, doing so against a jiu-jitsu expert like Penn wouldn't be wise for him whatsoever.

Luckily for Diaz, Penn isn't usually one to take the fight to the ground, as advantageous as such a strategy may be. Look for Diaz to bludgeon Penn with bunches of blows to survive a grueling, hard-fought bout and emerge with a split decision just slightly in his favor.