Former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz will no longer compete for the UFC Welterweight Championship on October 29th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Diaz was removed from his UFC 137 main event bout today after failing to show up for two mandatory press conferences and his UFC tenure may be over.

In a surprise announcement, UFC President Dana White confirmed today that “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit has stepped in to challenge Georges “Rush” St. Pierre for the title. Condit was previously set to face “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn on the same card. Penn awaits a new opponent.

Condit (27-5-0) captured the WEC Welterweight Championship in early 2007 and went on to defend the title three times before joining the ranks of the UFC in 2009. After dropping a razor-thin Split Decision in his debut, Condit rebounded with an equally close victory over Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger. Last year, he rallied back from the brink of defeat to stop Rory “Ares” MacDonald with only seven seconds remaining at UFC 115, then picked up knockout wins over Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy and Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim in his most recent bouts. The well-rounded Condit has finished 26 opponents to date, with 13 knockouts and submissions apiece.

St. Pierre (22-2-0) is widely regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts, with many pundits placing him atop the listings. The standout wrestler from Montréal has won nine straight fights inside the Octagon against the best fighters that the welterweight division has to offer. While he has drawn criticism from some for not finishing recent fights, St. Pierre has outclassed his opponents to an extent rarely seen at the highest levels of the sport. With the late change to the UFC 137 card, St. Pierre will now defend his crown against Condit, who shares a common trainer with St. Pierre in Greg Jackson.

For Diaz (25-7-0, 1 ND), the loss of the title fight opportunity is a major setback and fans and some media alike have directed scorn towards the Stockton, California native. Diaz, who suffers from ADHD, is alleged to have gone into hiding. He drew the ire of long-time trainer and friend Cesar Gracie, who placed the blame for the situation solely on Diaz and told MMAjunkie.com that he is unsure of whether or not he will continue to train the embattled former Strikeforce champion.

With B.J. Penn now left without an opponent for the the UFC 137 card, top contender Jon Fitch has campaigned for a rematch against the former two-division UFC champion. Penn has yet to comment on any of today’s announcements or card changes.

UFC 137 takes place on October 29th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be headlined by a UFC Welterweight Championship bout between Georges “Rush” St. Pierre and “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit.

UFC 137 Fight Card (to date; subject to change):

– Georges “Rush” St. Pierre vs “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit [UFC Welterweight title]
– “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn vs TBD
– Matt Mitrione vs Cheick Kongo
– Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović vs Roy “Big Country” Nelson
– Hatsu Hioki vs George Roop

– Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone vs Dennis Siver
– Tyson Griffin vs Bart “Bartimus” Palaszewski
– “Crazy” Tim Credeur vs Brad Tavares
– Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen vs “The Big Frog” Jeff Curran
– Brandon “The Truth” Vera vs Eliot “The Fire” Marshall
– Danny “Boy” Downes vs Ramsey Nijem

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)