Dana White confirmed to MMA Weekly that, should Diaz defeat B.J. Penn at UFC 137, he will indeed get a shot at the Welterweight title against the winner of Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit.
Diaz was of course originally set to face St. Pierre in the main event of UFC 137, but after repeatedly no showing press conferences, White pulled him from the match, giving the title shot to Condit instead. Days later, Diaz was back in for the show, but this time facing B.J. Penn in the semi-main event.
For Diaz, this is a huge break, but still a tough challenge. Penn is a former Welterweight champion who is currently ranked #7 in the division in the USA Today / SB Nation Consensus Rankings. He's 1-0-1 at 170 since his return to the division, and is always a threat to anyone in the division. Diaz is currently ranked at #4, and is undefeated since 2007. But Penn represents a real step up from the competition former Strikeforce champion Diaz has faced as of late.
Fans were excited about St. Pierre vs. Diaz when it was first announced. If both men win later this month and find themselves on a collision course once again, that excitement will only increase after recent events. In the end, we may not only get the match we want, but with even more fuel behind it.
Or B.J. Penn could spoil it all (or, to be fair, Carlos Condit). We'll see at UFC 137.
Video of Dana White discussing Diaz's shot after the jump.
