Almost as soon as it seemed a reality, a rematch between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit is not happening.
When contacted today by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Diaz manager Cesar Gracie said "no" when asked if a rematch recently announced is a reality. He declined further comment.
UFC president Dana White issued a tweet late Tuesday that said Condit had accepted a rematch with Diaz and was headed to Las Vegas on Friday, presumably, to finalize a contract for the fight.
Condit manager Malki Kawa did not respond to a request for comment on the status of the bout but today confirmed the rematch via Twitter.
This past Saturday at UFC 143, Condit earned a unanimous decision over Diaz to become the UFC interim welterweight champion and set a fight with undisputed champ Georges St-Pierre sometime this year. The pay-per-view event took place this past Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Diaz said he would retire shortly after the decision was handed down. UFC president Dana White then said he would understand if Diaz wanted to retire but also entertained the possibility of a rematch with Condit as St-Pierre healed from the torn ACL that scratched his scheduled meeting with Diaz and this past Saturday's event.
Condit, of course, edged Diaz with a technical gameplan that went unappreciated by many fans, especially those who supported Diaz. Nevertheless, his interim championship guaranteed a bout against St-Pierre that was based entirely on St-Pierre's readiness.
St-Pierre, meanwhile, told "UFC Tonight" he would relinquish his belt to fight Diaz despite plans for a fight with Condit.
But for now, it appears he will meet Condit when his knee heals.
In an interview Tuesday with MMAjunkie.com, Gracie anticipated Diaz would return after a layoff from the sport and wished Condit luck for his fight with St-Pierre.
Source: Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz II already a no-go, says Cesar Gracie