Nonconformist Diaz disdains media dance

“The thing about Nick is that he always comes 100 percent to fight,” said Nelson, who I have to believe has the inside track on being cast as the lead in any “Grizzly Adams” remake. “As long as he comes to fight, that’s all that matters. We’re in the fight business. If we were in the promoting business, we’d own UFC. We don’t. We’re just fighters.

“You have Coke and Pepsi. Pepsi is the New Generation. Coke is Classic. Nick is the guy who’s completely opposite but we’re still talking about him.”

Grizzly sort of reached there with the whole soda-pop comparison, but not on the fact Diaz is a different guy, particularly when talking mixed martial arts or the art of punctuality.

Diaz, 26, might be the only one to reach a main event for the Ultimate Fighting Championship who apparently can’t afford a watch.

The masses nearly fainted at The Ultimate Fighter Gym on Wednesday when 30 minutes before his scheduled news conference, Diaz strolled through the complex and began working out. Local sports books probably had considered taking action on whether he would show up at all.

Joked one reporter: “I just took a picture of him to prove it, but now when I look at my camera, there’s no one there.”

I have always believed the UFC’s popularity is driven by fighters such as Diaz, which sounds run-through-the-streets-naked crazy given his baggage and tendency not to conform for those writing the checks.

But no sport does a better job than UFC at giving fans what they want to see most, and the fact Diaz will oppose BJ Penn in a welterweight main event at UFC 137 tonight at Mandalay Bay Events Center is evidence of that.

UFC president Dana White has given Diaz a rope that stretches from here to the fighter’s home in Stockton, Calif., first matching him against Georges St. Pierre for tonight’s card, then bouncing Diaz when the fighter was a continual no-show at important promotional events, and now returning him to the main event against Penn after St. Pierre was injured.

Diaz has referred to prefight news gatherings as “beauty pageants,” confirming he has never seen anyone who works in my business.

White is aware of fighters who are most intriguing to those purchasing tickets and pay per views, meaning while he might prefer that someone such as Diaz play the promotional game a bit more, he understands the importance of his company continuing to deliver the best fights.

I don’t know if Diaz is troubled or focused or bitter or what. He is there and he isn’t during interviews, intelligent and yet detached.

But he is immensely talented, so much so that even when he was a champion in Strikeforce, Diaz would make appearances at UFC Fan Expo events and be greeted by flocks of fans.

Such popularity is not lost on White, and neither is the fact Diaz might be the best boxer in UFC, that he has the height and reach and stamina to overwhelm most, that his name will draw dollars.

“I used to be angry, upset, mad at the world,” Diaz said. “But I’m just a kid who comes from real fights. I was brought up fighting, so I just keep it real. In some ways, that has affected me positively and in some ways negatively.”

Most who know the sport best are shocked Diaz is an underdog tonight, unable to grasp how a guy many thought would give St. Pierre all he could handle is expected to lose to an older fighter in Penn, who lost twice to St. Pierre.

I’m thinking Diaz views odds much like he does the importance of hearing every question from the beauty pageant judges.

“He just wants to train and fight and win,” said Nate Diaz, younger brother and also a UFC fighter. “All the other stuff, people coming at him all the time, telling him he has to do this and be here and be there. … Sometimes, you just want to be left alone to focus on your job.

“But he is a savage. He will get through all of it.”

Hey. The guy was 30 minutes early Wednesday and then an hour early for Thursday’s main news conference.

He’s either learning to play the game a little or he finally bought a watch.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday on “Monsters of the Midday,” Fox Sports Radio 920 AM. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.