Tony Reid- What does it mean to be a champion in a major
organization such as Strikeforce?
Nick Diaz-I hold a title now and it’s not that f***ing spectacular to tell
you the truth. I don’t give a rat’s ass. Where’s my cover shoot? Where’s my
f***ing TV Show? Where’s all that? Can I get paid for this s***, already?
Why am I not driving nice cars? Why do I gotta worry about paying a
f***ing water bill? I’m being sent to collections by my insurance, because I
smash people, the insurance from the fight won’t pay for it (medical bills)
like they are supposed to. I can’t even buy a f***ing house right now. What
do you know about that?
TR-What was the most challenging aspect of growing up in Stockton/
Lodi?
ND- My mom had to work all day, from early in the morning to six or
seven o’clock at night. I would just be at home all day. We would get breaks
(from school) and I would just be at home. I had Child Protective Services
called on me when I was really, really little. When I was out on the streets
there were some bad kids. It was rough. When you are a kid you don’t say,
“Oh, I’m not gonna hang out with those kids, they’re bad kids.” It was
hard. I was lucky I got into jiu-jitsu my sophomore year. I don’t drink now.
That’s hard to believe because every MMA Fighter drinks plenty. I have seen
Georges (St. Pierre) on the dance floor…I’ve been there. But I don’t drink
because I did all that s*** when I was way too young to be doing it. I did
that kind of s*** when I was a seventh grader. That’s what screwed me up
for high school but at the same time; it lined me up for jui-jitsu.
TR- You have been on the losing end of many controversial decisions,
especially in the UFC. What changes do you think should be made in
scoring MMA Fights?
ND- I won those fights! You can’t look at me and tell me I didn’t win those
fights. I’m like, “Ha, f*** you I won those fights!” When I was a kid it was
like, “Well, maybe it was a close fight” but now, no way. The PRIDE rules
are so much closer to the best thing I could think of.
TR-You have been quoted as saying you were born to make an attempt
to be the greatest fighter in the world. Can you elaborate on that?
ND- I wasn’t supposed to do anything else. I know that for sure. Everybody
else in fighting has a lot going on, they want to try to do all kinds of things.
I don’t do s***, I fight people. I got a chance to do this, you know? Just like
the movies I watched as a kid, my favorite movies. Sure enough I’m starring
on one of them, only its real life. I just look at it like a ride. I just ride the
ride.
TR-If a fight with you and GSP ever became a reality how do you see it
playing out?
ND- I think I’d wreck that guy. I throw a lot of punches. If he tried to take
me down, he can’t control me like he did (Dan) Hardy. I get up and he has
to keep taking me down. He’s gonna get tired and hell f***ing redline in
the first round. He’s gonna have to stand there and fight with me and that’s
gonna be a problem for him. He doesn’t have the skill level I do in any one
aspect of this, except maybe wrestling…I’m not even gonna give you that…
f*** that, I take that back…I wrestle people up! I take Diego down, I take
Sherk down…these guys go down. It’s a good matchup for me just like
Matt Hughes was. I won all those fights! I’m more of a fighter, I’m more
violent.
TR-If you could choose one fight from your career that every MMA fan
should see, which fight would you choose?
ND- I’d show ‘em Chris Lytle. I think somebody should find that footage.
They are trying to hold that footage and they won’t give it to me. People
don’t understand. I fought Joe Hurley. People thought Joe Hurley was the
s***. He would walk in a room and people would start chanting his name
like “Hurley, Hurley”. That was scary s*** when you are 15 or 16 years
old. I would let them know who Joe Hurley was and what that s*** was all
about. It’s way more important than this bulls*** on TV now. The WEC
and stuff, it was way more hardcore when I started. People were trying to
pull out of the crowd, f*** medicals. This dude was like, “They are looking
for fighters, you wanna fight?” I’m like f***, I have stab wounds. I got
Art by Justin McAllister
stabbed on New Year’s at a party. I would have fought
if I didn’t have holes in me. I was fighting with some
gangster Mexican motherf***er. He’s stabbing me, I’m
beating his ass and I don’t realize he’s stabbing me. People
don’t know about that s***, that’s real s***. I was WEC
Champion, f***ing W-E-C Champion! That s*** would
be huge on TV now, everybody would know me but
nobody knows who the f*** I am on account of that.
You wouldn’t know about Georges. He didn’t do s***, he
beat all these random guys but it wasn’t really important.
Where I was, was the important s*** and I was winning
it.
TR-If you could fight anyone in any weight class who
would you fight and why?
ND- I’d fight Fedor (Emelianenko) because I think
he’s the best fighter in the world. I think everybody
thinks that and if I could beat him then I would be the
best in the world. I could beat that guy. I can do better
than Matt Lindland, that’s for sure! I feel like I can beat
anybody, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be able to
win all these fights. There are a lot of tools that I have
that most guys don’t. I have enough to figure out a way
around anybody.
TR- Thank you so much for your time. Is there
anything you want to say before we sign off?
ND- I think the main thing that people misunderstand
about me is that I go through a lot of bulls***. I get
a lot of s*** everywhere I go. This last fight I got into
with these motherf***ers (Strikeforce Shields/Miller
Incident) and people write emails like, “I hope you and
your brother are the first ones in MMA to die in the
cage.” I get mail like that and people think they are so
in the right for talking s*** to me. I work hard. I work
twice as hard. I don’t make enough money to get as
much bulls*** as I get. I put on a good show. I don’t sell
out. I don’t start going, “Ohh, I guess I’m a little b****
now, I’m sorry, I apologize to everybody for cursing and
flipping the middle finger.” I don’t sell out like that, even
if I think it would get me more money. I think I should
be paid. I had a girlfriend for five years her and f***ing
dad can’t stand me and I never met him one time in
my entire life. I don’t even have enough money right
now to waive around to keep this chick around. I have
girls walking out on me…You can’t expect someone to
understand how much time and effort and dedication
you put into a sport and not get f***ing paid for it! It’s
f***ing ridiculous! I don’t even get paid enough money to
convince this girl’s dad. What am I supposed to do, start
whining and crying and acting like f***ing Uriah Faber?
He didn’t come train with me; he didn’t worry about his
martial arts skill or his fighting style. He’s not a fighter
he’s a God damn little football playing wrestler. You gotta
train martial arts with a martial arts. background and
with people that are down to fight and down for real.
These guys are trying to make a schedule and work on a
schedule. I don’t have a fucking schedule; you call me its
time to train. If you come
down here to spar with
me in my gym we
will see what’s up.
You don’t have
to worry about
my schedule, I’m
all day.
www.reidfightwear.com
Contact Tony Reid at www.facebook.com/reidfightwear • Justin McAllister at www.facebook.com/justin.mcallister#/Justinian.McAllister