Nick Diaz, right, punches BJ Penn during a mixed martial arts welterweight bout, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, in Las Vegas. Diaz won by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)Isaac Brekken/The Associated Press
Nick Diaz didn't want to talk about pulling off the biggest win of his UFC career Saturday night. He wanted to call out the man he was supposed to fight in the first place.
"I don't think Georges is hurt, he's scared," said Diaz of UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre, just moments after dismantling former UFC lightweight and welterweight champ B.J. Penn Saturday night in the main event of UFC 137 at the Mandalay Bay casino.
St-Pierre, who had a front-row seat for the fight, just shook his head in response to Diaz's challenge and wiggled his fingers in a mocking fashion. But afterwards he was so upset that he said he wanted to fight Diaz next.
UFC president Dana White made it happen, saying Carlos Condit had agreed to step aside and that Diaz and St-Pierre will fight on Super Bowl weekend early February in Las Vegas.
"Georges St-Pierre flipped out tonight after what Nick Diaz said in the ring," White said at the post-fight press conference. White quoted St-Pierre as saying: "(Diaz is) the most disrespectful human being I've ever met. I'm going to put the worst beating you've ever seen on him in the UFC."
"This is what I wanted since the beginning," St. Pierre said in a statement released late Saturday. "Let's do what was supposed to be done originally. I've always wanted this fight - now I want it even more. I cant wait for Super Bowl weekend."
The 28-year-old Diaz (27-7, 1 no contest) — who lost his opportunity to fight GSP after missing back-to-back press events in early September — said he had to be the bad guy to get the fight that he came to the UFC for.
"I've got to come off like that just to get a fight. I've got to be the bad guy and now I get the fight," said the Stockton, Calif., native, who despite all his brash talked proved he was deserving of the opportunity by dismantling Penn.
After the 32-year-old Penn (16-7-2) won the first round with a series of solid punches and jiu-jitsu, Diaz came on like a prized boxer in the second round — picking Penn apart with rabbit-quick jabs and powerfully-timed punches.
It was more of the same in the third and final round as Diaz's punch rate increased, often backing the shorter Penn into the fence where he would then unload more combinations that included stinging body shots.
"In the second round I turned it on and tried to take him out. He started going on defence in round three," said Diaz, the former Strikeforce champ who was 11-1 since he last fought in the UFC in 2006.
"Things would have been different if there were five rounds. I would have taken him out for sure in the fourth. B.J. is one of the best there is and not that many would go out there and take all those punches."
A battered and bloody Penn said he likely wouldn't do it again either, telling UFC announcer Joe Rogan that it was his last fight.
"Hats off to Nick Diaz, he's the man. This is probably the last time you'll see me," Penn said. "I want to perform at a top level. I don't want to go home looking like this."
In what very well could have been Roy Nelson's last match with the UFC because of back-to-back losses, the Las Vegas native defeated Mirko (Cro Cop) Filipovic via third-round TKO in what was the Croatian fan favourite's last match
"Like I said earlier, this is going to be my farewell fight —unfortunately it didn't end the way I wanted," said a sombre Filipovic as the fans gave him a standing ovation.
"The UFC has been so good to me over the years and it is hard to leave this company and this sport. Even though I didn't do as well in the UFC as the rest of my career, I feel like I did everything that I could to have an overall successful career."
The heavily-bearded Nelson looked to be in big trouble in the second round when Filipovic caught him with a flush shot and landed two dozen more blows, but coming back in the third with a pair of right-hands to set up his finishing punches.
Afterwards Nelson encouraged fans to applaud the former Croatian police officer.
"Everybody give it up to Cro Cop. It was awesome to beat a legend," said Nelson, who then took the microphone from Rogan and said he wanted the winner of next month's heavyweight title fight between champ Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.
Fans were unhappy with the co-main event as Cheick Kongo defeated Matt Mitrione by unanimous decision in a bout that never got going.
"I wasn't sure how to react to Mitrione's movements in the beginning. I was happy with my performance, especially my striking," said Kongo, who was able to control Mitrione with his takedowns and striking in the third round of his 30-27, 30-28, 29-28 win.
Highly decorated Japanese fighter Hatsu Hioki earned a victory in his UFC debut, defeating George Roop by split decision, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28.
Canadians in attendance were denied a chance to see St-Pierre in action, but they found a fighter to cheer for in Francis Carmont. The Parisian who trains at St-Pierre's Tristar Gym scored a dominant victory over Chris Camozzi in his UFC debut.
"Chris is a tough guy, but this is what I do and I do it well," said the 30-year-old middleweight of his unanimous decision win (30-26, 30-27, 30-27). "I'm ready for my next fight in a few months."
Former WEC star Donald (Cowboy) Cerrone won his sixth straight fight by rocking Denis Siver with a slew of punches and a head kick before finishing the German with a rear-naked choke.
Brandon Vera broke his three-fight winless streak, scoring a 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 victory over Eliot Marshal.
Bart Palaszewski needed less than two minutes to beat veteran Tyson Griffin.
Other winners included "The Ultimate Fighter" 11 finalist Ramsey Nijem, Clifford Starks and Scott Jorgensen.