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UFC 158:

Even after embarrassing defeat, Nick Diaz mouths off about Georges St. Pierre

Diaz asks for rematch after losing every round to St. Pierre

St. Pierre-Diaz

Associated Press

Georges St-Pierre, right, from Canada lands a kick to the body of Nick Diaz from the United States during their UFC 158 welterweight mixed martial arts title fight in Montreal, Saturday, March 16, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

St. Pierre-Diaz

Georges St-Pierre from Canada, left, has his arm raised by an official after defeating Nick Diaz from the United States in their UFC 158 mixed martial arts title fight in Montreal, Saturday, March 16, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes) Launch slideshow »

UFC 158

Johny Hendricks from the United States, right, celebrates following his UFC 158 welterweight fight with Carlos Condit, left, also from the United States in Montreal, Saturday, March 16, 2013.(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes) Launch slideshow »

MONTREAL — The reconciliation lasted about as long as one round.

After Georges St. Pierre routed Nick Diaz with a unanimous-decision victory (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) in the UFC 158 main event, the two were cordial in the octagon and appeared to put their rivalry in the past. Then St. Pierre walked to an interview with Fuel TV backstage right after Diaz.

The champion was alerted to a few choice comments from Diaz.

“He just said I hit like a girl and he wants to fight me in a rematch immediately,” St. Pierre said. “So I guess we’re back to where we were.”

St. Pierre had no idea what would happen next. A few minutes after UFC President Dana White declared there was nothing Diaz could do that would surprise him, the Stockton, Calif., native tested that proclamation.

Diaz walked into the post-fight press conference he told White he wouldn’t attend 40 minutes late and plopped down in front of a microphone.

“The only reason I’m here right now is I want a rematch against you,” Diaz announced while starting at St. Pierre. “I think I’m maybe a better matchup for Anderson Silva as well.”

Recognizing the absurdity of the situation, St. Pierre leaned back in his chair and stayed quiet. White dropped his head and rubbed his eyes.

Everyone seemed to know what was in store — the final installment of the Diaz show. Diaz proceeded to provide a litany of excuses for 10 minutes as to why he didn’t perform the way he wanted against St. Pierre.

Among them were that his training partners didn’t help him enough in preparation for St. Pierre, that his stomach hurt and that he never adjusted to three-hour time difference from his home.

“I was so confused,” Diaz said. “I wish I had some kind of coach to tell me, ‘you need to go to sleep dude.’”

“The guy had five rounds and woke me up. Now I’m ready to fight. That’s just how I feel.”

Diaz said he slept until 8 p.m. when he needed to head to the Bell Centre. Controversy struck almost as soon as he arrived.

Diaz’s teammate Jake Shields approved Georges St. Pierre’s hand wraps, but then wanted to see them again. The Quebec athletic commission informed Shields that St. Pierre’s gloves were already on and that wouldn’t be possible.

Shields complained on twitter and Diaz’s team got unruly.

“They were yelling in my locker room,” St. Pierre said. “Everything was about head games. It was crazy. It was the first time anyone ever did head games with me. It was tough. It was very demanding, very stressful.”

White said the UFC confiscated the hand wraps to analyze them after the fight, and there was no sign of anything illegal. Diaz complained, however, about one punch that he claimed didn’t feel right and opened a cut.

“This guy has no punching power, no offense,” Diaz said, turning to St. Pierre.

“I wanted him to try to hurt me, to try to finish me. If you noticed, he didn’t try to put me in side control or try to put in two hooks. Maybe he couldn’t do it or maybe he just had a plan to shake me down, shake me down and hit me with small shots.”

Diaz went on to admonish St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks for sitting next to each other when they are expected to fight sometime in the near in the future. He sounded open about the potential for a rematch against Carlos Condit if he couldn’t get a bout with St. Pierre or Silva.

But then again, Diaz wasn’t sure about anything after UFC 158.

“I’ve never paid taxes in my life,” Diaz said, “so I’m probably going to jail.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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