Taking full advantage of the contract he signed with Strikeforce pre-merger, Nick Diaz has signed a tentative agreement box Jeff Lacy (25-4) this fall. Cesar Gracie, Diaz’s manager, has stated that a date and venue have been decided upon though neither has been announced thus far. Gracie also said that unless the UFC were to ask Diaz to fight current welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre during the same time period the boxing match will take place.
The contract that Diaz signed with Strikeforce last December allowed for one boxing match in the 2011 calendar year. Diaz has only one professional boxing credit to his name, a 2005 unanimous decision victory. After the UFC purchased Strikeforce Dana White has made it clear that they will honor all contracts that are on the book. Still, White said last weekend that he plans to travel to Stockton, California to meet with Diaz and discuss his future with the company. Most analysts agree that it would be an attempt to dissuade Diaz from taking a professional boxing bout. According to Gracie that meeting has yet to happen.
Many feel as though Diaz is the only true contender out their for St-Pierre’s title but the fact that Diaz is currently Strikeforce’s welterweight champion has created contractual and logistical issues for booking the fight. Also, many fans are more interested in seeing a potential superfight between St-Pierre and UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva.
Diaz is also aligned with boxing promoter Don Chagrin, but since those two came together Diaz has been exclusive to MMA. Gracie mentioned that if a St-Pierre fight were to materialize that Chagrin would have to be “cool” with the cancellation.
