Gray Maynard isn't the only one with a bout hanging over his shoulder.
Nate Diaz, who meets Maynard on Monday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 20 in Fairfax, Va., is already fired up for another fight when he gets done with Maynard.
And while much of the buzz surrounding their fight has focused on a possible title opportunity for "The Bully," Diaz has his own hit list.
"I would like to fight [Tyson Griffin] no matter what," said Diaz on a conference call promoting the Jan. 11 event. "He's a bitch. I don't even like that guy. [Expletive] Tyson."
Diaz and Griffin were training partners at a Cesar Gracie affiliate school for two years when Griffin moved to Las Vegas in late 2006. They eventually formed the foundation for the gym that would become Xtreme Couture. Since then, though, their relationship has been rocky, to say the least.
Diaz accused Griffin of giving out scouting reports to the fighters of the Las Vegas gym.
"I understand if you're a fighter, but he trained with me and sweat and bled, and people are like, 'Oh, he wanted to go see what other training was like,' but I'm like no," Diaz said. "What he did, he's over there training with Gray now, who I've got to fight, talking about everything when I used to train with them, not Gray specifically, but anybody who I might have to fight down the line. So as far as I'm concerned, it's all around not being a bitch and [expletive] over your friends.
"It's not that personal. He was never really a friend that deep. He was a training partner that I was down for, but then he bounced, so whatever. I like him less than people I have to fight normally. I think he's a bitch."
Diaz said Griffin was big-headed and not the fighter he made himself out to be.
"He was with us, and he acted like he was ahead of me back in the day, like saying I needed to work my way up to fight him," Diaz said. "I'm like, 'Let's not beat around the bush.' ... When he came to Cesar Gracie, I had already fought before, and I whupped him. He jumped in sometimes with me and Gilbert (Melendez), and (Griffin) got handled most of the time he was in training."
MMAjunkie.com could not immediately reach Griffin for comment. Meanwhile, Maynard, a longtime friend of Griffin's, refused to take the bait during the call.
"There's nothing to say," the 30-year-old Las Vegas native said when discussing the training-partner drama.
"All he can say is Nathan Diaz used to whoop my ass training," Diaz cut in.
There was then an awkward silence on the line.
Diaz, 24, bested Maynard in the semifinals of "The Ultimate Fighter 5" and said that his improvement outmatched Maynard's since the show.
"It might not make a difference how much better you've gotten, but I've been training hard," he said. "I'm ready to win. ... I'm gonna whoop his ass.
"I still think all in all, he does the same type of stuff to win each fight ... being a better wrestler. But a fight is a fight, and I feel like I can improve in all areas. I've just got to do things right the night of the fight."
If there was any more gasoline to throw on the fire, Diaz (11-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) disputed the idea that Maynard (8-0-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) was worthier than him of getting a title shot.
"I think they're talking about him getting a title fight because he's had so many wins in a row, but if you think about it, I think I've been fighting more consistently," Diaz said. "I have more fights than Gray, so that's why he's got more wins – because he hasn't fought as many times as I have."
Source: http://mmajunkie.com/news/17474/ufn-20- ... aynard.mma