The only certainty for Nick Diaz right now is that he did, in fact not beat Carlos Condit at UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit. Had he won, it would be declared a no contest due the fact that he failed his post-fight test. On Saturday, we took a look at the possibility that the new complications with the athletic commission might push him over that edge and confirm his retirement, but it would definitely be a shame if Diaz went through with it. The main problem is that it's hard to see Diaz sitting out something like a full year, then going before a commission hearing to get back in the octagon after what went down after the match with Condit in the post-fight interview.
But Diaz is still a very good fighter who only loses to the top of the division. He's still in his prime and has a lot to offer the sport of MMA and the UFC, with plenty of attractive matchups still out there for him, including a potential rematch with Condit or a future matchup with Georges St-Pierre. Losing a matchup for the Interim Welterweight Championship doesn't mean your career is down the toilet.
According to Sherdog.com, another fighter thinks Diaz shouldn't retire either. The aforementioned St-Pierre, despite the fact that he doesn't like Diaz very much, said that Diaz shouldn't retire at this point in his career. St-Pierre says that Diaz has sacrificed too much in his life to get here to just throw it away, leaving a lot of money on the table, on top of that. St-Pierre also says that the sport needs a guy like him.
While St-Pierre does eventually say that he wants to fight Condit now that he's the "best man," he does leave open the possibility of fighting Diaz down the line.
"I wanted to fight him because of what he was, not because of what he said," St. Pierre explained. "He was ranked No. 1 before that fight. ... As much as we dislike each other, I like the guy in a way that I need a guy like him to motivate me and to make me a better martial artist."
It's clear that St-Pierre is at a point where he only wants to fight the best. It just helps that Diaz is one of the best and also gets under St-Pierre;s skin. It really would be a shame if Diaz followed through with his retirement, because the potential matchup down the line still remains just as compelling as it was before UFC 143.