Strikeforce fighters Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Nick Diaz have been having a little conversation with one another over the internet recently. Maybe conversation is the wrong word. It implies an exchange of information, perhaps even a constructive one. What Diaz and Miller have been doing is working with one another into a frenzy.It started with Miller's anti-Diaz rant on Joe Rogan's Ustream Podcast last week. Miller painted Diaz as the main driver in the post-fight brawl in Memphis that resulted in suspensions for most of the parties involved, and he took aim at Diaz's "gangsta" persona, saying it "embodies what's wrong with America."
Of course, it didn't take long before Diaz saw the video and, naturally, decided to hit back with one of his own.
As with just about everything Diaz does outside of the cage, trying to decipher his intentions is a fool's errand. It's possible that, at least in his mind, a video in which he drives around town and mumbles a stream of expletives would serve as a perfect counterpoint to Miller's depiction of him as a humorless, hyper-aggressive caveman.
In reality, however, the video does more to bolster Miller's case than Diaz's.
Not that we should have expected anything different. When a video begins with someone adjusting the camera to ensure that both his middle fingers are plainly visible, that should give you a pretty good idea what you're getting into. When the title of the video includes the two expletives that make up roughly 75% of all the words spoken over the course of the five-minute opus, that should remove all doubt as to whether this is an argument you should take seriously.
If Miller's position is that Diaz's MMA gangster mentality is equivalent to "just being a little kid," then Diaz's decision to respond by making fun of Miller's hair and calling him a stream of profanities more or less makes the point for "Mayhem." While everyone seems to like and respect Diaz the fighter, Diaz the person seems intent on making that increasingly difficult.
In the whole of Diaz's response there's only point that borders on being valid. While Miller keeps talking about how much he'd like to face him, the two compete in different weight classes. Miller's a middleweight, while Diaz is the Strikeforce welterweight champ (though he's been known to fight at 185 pounds in the past).
But the point remains, why waste time with this viral video beef unless one of them is willing to jump divisions?
Wouldn't you know it, Miller had a response to that, too. On his Twitter account Monday afternoon, he wrote, "So now Nick Diaz is suddenly a 170 pounder only when he has to fight someone who can whip his [expletive]? Not so gangster, is he?"
Sounds like the ball is back in Diaz's court. If you're expecting a more thoughtful response this time, prepare to be disappointed.
Get the latest gear
