http://www.mmawarlike.org/2011/01/boxer-fernando-vargas-puts-down-nick.html
“Right now, I’m thinking about , but listen, there’s another guy that’s been opening his mouth that’s in MMA — and that’s Nick Diaz. He’s been calling me out saying he wants to fight me. I’m like, ‘Who is this guy? You’re not an elite mixed martial artist. You’re not even in the UFC.’ That’s definitely a fight that interests me. He got my attention.”
Saying Nick isn't an elite MMA fighter shows Vargas' ignorance, Nick was in the UFC and left because he wouldn't play the game (literally keep himself in check, not throwing down with fighters in the hospital and bashing the commissions) hense how Nick isn't in the UFC but he is in StrikeForce and holds their version of WW title.
Look at Nicks career and as much as he does have a few losses in his career most by decision and his career wins are far more impressive and his tooling of Gomi was insane at the time as Gomi was still considered one of the top 3 in the LW division at the time.