Is Nick Diaz anti-establishment or just a paranoid pot smoker?

Nick Diaz and Georges St-Pierre were due in Canada Tuesday for a press conference to help promote their main event title fight at UFC 137. After the UFC sent Diaz three different plane tickets he failed to board a plane each time.

St-Pierre ended up doing the press conference by himself.

Diaz was again supposed to be at a press conference today in Las Vegas with St-Pierre and UFC President Dana White. Once again, Diaz failed to show.

White said he called Diaz’s manager, Cesar Gracie, three hours ago and he has not returned his call. Then by a sheer stroke of unprecedented coincidence, White’s phone rang while at the press conference podium this afternoon. White said, “It’s Cesar,” and answered the phone.

White talked with Gracie right there (not on speaker phone). After the call White said Gracie agreed with his decision 100 percent to pull Diaz out of the fight with St-Pierre. According to White, Gracie also said he was “embarrassed” and has not been able to talk or find Diaz. Gracie said Diaz was “hiding” and no one can find him.

White later said he was told Diaz actually snuck out of Gracie’s house.

As for why Nick Diaz was acting like this, White feels maybe the former Strikeforce welterweight champion folded under the pressure of the spotlight. As for St-Pierre, he is dumbfounded at Diaz’s behavior and can not understand why someone would choose to pass up such a great opportunity.

Unbeknownst to B.J. Penn, who was scheduled to fight Carlos Condit at UFC 137 on Oct. 29, Condit will now replace Diaz to fight St-Pierre for the title on the same card. The Condit-Penn fight was billed as a title eliminator.

White said Penn had not yet been informed they were removing his opponent. He also said Condit was their first and only choice to replace Diaz.

White said they will likely cut Diaz from the promotion but they have not made an official decision yet.

As far as what St-Pierre thinks about his new opponent, the champ said, “I do believe that Carlos is more dangerous than Nick Diaz. If Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit were to fight each other I would put my money on Condit.”

In a week that has been ripe with news (is Mercury in retrograde?), stay close to ProMMAnow.com (www.prommanow.com) as Nick Diaz’s fate hangs in the balance.

Our boy Joe Gugelman was at today’s press conference and has exclusive photos and an interview with GSP that you do not want to miss!

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