Above is the audio of Wednesday's media call to promote UFC 137. Present on the call is former UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn, alongside heavyweights Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo. Former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz is initially absent, but eventually shows up around the 40-minute mark.
The first half of the call was a relatively subdued affair with B.J. Penn discussing his opponent's disappearance before moving onto questions of his own. The former champion made it clear that he would like to fight for a belt one last time before he retires and expressed his willingness to extend his battle with Diaz to five rounds with one stipulation, stating, "I'm more than happy to do it, but this is a job. I want to be compensated accordingly."
Once Diaz got on the line the focus of the call shifted entirely to him, as media members curiously probed into where the Stockton native was and why he nearly missed another promotional appearance. The 28-year-old answered each question with a unique fervor, declaring that he had not been informed of the call and those in charge of such matters had dropped the ball. "Someone could have gave me a call about this conference call," he said. "I'm not sitting here with my thumb waiting for a phone call. I'm waiting for training."
UFC 137 will be held on October 29th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tickets are on sale now.
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