Diaz is to Lacy as Froch is to Liddell

Well, it’s on: Nick Diaz v. Jeff Lacy. Who’s promoting the fight, who’s showing the fight are all yet to be established, but it seems it will happen. But before we do let’s get a few things straight: Jeff Lacy is taking this fight because he’s got almost no other options.

Does that mean this will be bad fight? Not at all, but it’s still MMA’s top talent versus boxing’s has-been. This is reminiscent of the last MMA-boxing crossover with the tubby, old, and washed-up, James Toney.

Sure they’re fun, but MMA-boxing crossovers don’t make much sense. You’re saying that someone who is accustomed to fighting a maximum of twenty minutes, is dying to fight for twice that? Thanks to the four ounce gloves, first round KOs aren’t just prized but are expected – and that’s why we like MMA. But boxing is a whole different ball game. I can promise you Nick Diaz won’t be wondering around the ring waiting for the decision with blood all over his face.

The idea that we’re seeing just who is the baddest is ludicrous. These are two sports with very different rules. I think everyone who doesn’t practice a combat sport goes around with the notion that these guys are fighting as they would on the street, but if we were really on the street, what are the chances that (1) this person isn’t armed (2) this person won’t poke you in the eye, or kick you in the groin, or kick you in the head when you’re down (this latter is probably guranteed I would say).

That said, I would like to see how Nick Diaz handles the marathon pro-boxing fight, even if he only won one professional boxing match in a decision to a fall-down guy, Alfonso Rocha (7-4).

Although, I’ve agreed with bits of Dana White’s criticism’s about the boxing industry, I don’t think he treats his fighters very well. The whole sport has become only about what the audience wants. Well, shouldn’t the audience care about their fighters? Everybody has a bad day, but dumping people because they showboat or they don’t win one time.

In case it does happen, I say Diaz could win by decision. Lacy lost his last three of four fights, one to the aging, sluggish, ready-to-retire, Roy Jones Jr; and another to Jermain Taylor, who lost so badly in the Super-Six tournament last year it’s likely he won’t ever be back in the ring. Of course, most MMA fans don’t know that because they don’t follow boxing. They also don’t know that Lacy hasn’t been a name in boxing since Chuck Liddell was in UFC.