Retired boxing champ Fernando Vargas claims Nick Diaz didn't want to fight him, praises Vitor Belfort

Former IBF and WBA boxing champ Fernando Vargas, who hasn't fought since 2007, claims that UFC star Nick Diaz was the one who declined to fight him in 2011 in this video interview. He also says Vitor Belfort has the best hands in MMA.

Fight Hub TV recently hooked up with retired boxing champ Fernando Vargas and got a couple of interesting MMA related nuggets out of him.

First off Vargas, who had been frequently mentioned as a possible opponent for a Nick Diaz pro-boxing debut, asserts that Diaz is the one who pulled out of the fight.

Secondly he says "my man" Vitor Belfort has the best hands in MMA.

Vargas and Diaz were frequently rumored to be trying to book a boxing match in 2010 and 2011. Here's what BE's Brent Brookhouse had to say at the time:

While it's not out of the question that a boxing match would be the biggest payday of Diaz's career I think he's sorely mistaken if he's expecting to take home a ton of money. Despite some fighters making absurd money in boxing those are almost always relevant, top-level fighters and based on a number of factors. Vargas hasn't fought since 2007 (a decision loss to Mayorga) and is far removed from his status as a draw.

Diaz had an option in his Strikeforce contract that allowed him to take a pro boxing fight. Once Zuffa's owners acquired SF, Diaz used that option as a bargaining chip to leverage himself into a bigger and better UFC contract.