Nate Diaz Top 10 Most Memorable Fights In The UFC
Nate Diaz is one of the most beloved figures in MMA. With his I don’t give a F attitude, along with his iron chin and a will to keep going, it’s easy to see why he is so loved. Diaz will fight for the last time in the UFC in September, so before we get to that, we wanted to take a look at Diaz’s UFC career from his Ultimate Fighter days to his epic showdowns with Conor McGregor. So, without further ado, let’s countdown Nate Diaz’s 10 most memorable UFC fights. 10. Ultimate Fighter Run It all started with
The Ultimate Fighter, this was this show that put Nate on the map for all the casual and hardcore fans alike. In his run, Nate showed his world class jiu jitsu skills as he submitted everyone on the show on his way to the finale, where, unfortunately, Manny Gamburyan blew out his shoulder in the beginning of the 2nd round and Nate won on a technicality. But we can’t go over Nate Diaz’s memorable career moments without mentioning he’s the winner of Ultimate Fighter 5. Also, it’s worth mentioning because since 2007, when the show aired, it was clear who
Nate was as he almost got into a fight with UFC fighter Karo Parisyan when he came on as a guest for an episode. Nate was always willing to take
have to show off his improving boxing skills in the fight. But the opposite happened. When Diaz fought Pellegrino, not only did he snatch up another submission win, showing that there are levels to the game, but he did so in one of the most iconic ways, flexing to the camera as Pellegrino was stuck in Diaz’s triangle and flipping the bird in traditional Diaz manner as Pellegrino tapped. With blood streaking down Diaz’s face, the crowd went mental for him. And Diaz earned a submission of the night bonus for his trouble. 8. Takanori Gomi After a short and
unsuccessful run at Welterweight, Nate Diaz dropped back down to 155 to face off with the Lightweight legend Takanori Gomi at UFC 135. This was a real crossroad fight for Diaz as it was uncertain what his role was going to be in the division. But when you’re facing the fireball kid himself, it can bring out the best in you and that’s exactly what happened. Diaz simply outclassed the former Pride champion, battering him on the feet with his patented one twos and after he hurt Gomi, Diaz quickly submitted Gomi with an armbar. With this, Diaz started building
some much needed momentum again. 7. Donald Cerrone When this fight was announced for the UFC 141 card, it had the MMA world buzzing with excitement. Cerrone was known for having epic fan pleasing fights with his incredible stand up and ground game. So, this had fight of the night written all over it. But the fight played out much differently than people imagined. A big weakness in Diaz’s game was leg kicks. He was never good at checking them and Cerrone was an elite kicker. So, Cerrone came into the fight confident as can be as he flipped off
Diaz in the stare down before the fight. But when the two started throwing down, it was clear that Cerrone wasn’t there mentally as the pressure and trash talking of Diaz was too much for him. Nate picked him apart on the feet with his boxing that left Cerrone battered and bruised and his confidence deflated as the 3rd round started and Diaz was on the other side, giving him the middle finger. This performance shot Diaz up the rankings, establishing him as a title threat. 6. Benson Henderson Speaking of the title, we’ve got to acknowledge Diaz’s one lone
shot at the gold bet. Even though it wasn’t one of Nate’s best performances, this would be his only title shot of his career despite being in the organization since 2007 and having a large and hardcore fan following. In the fight Henderson took advantage of Diaz’s lack of takedown defence, staying out of submission trouble, and picking apart Diaz’s legs on the feet. Unfortunately for Diaz, his only highlight of the fight would be giving Henderson the middle finger as Henderson defends Diaz’s leg lock attempt. That made for an interesting moment but in the grand scheme of things
it fell short as Diaz took his lopsided decision loss. But that won’t be the last time Diaz took a L in style. That’s the calling card of the Diaz brothers. Even when they lose, they find a moment of victory in there. Stay tuned for more. 5. Gray Maynard On a two fight losing streak, Nate was matched up with Maynard as they headlined the Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale. The pair were one and one in their career as Diaz submitted Maynard in the Ultimate Fighter while Maynard got his revenge in the UFC as he won a decision.
Many believed this would end up being another wrestle fest that Diaz would lose. But it went nothing like that. Maynard did try to wrestle but Diaz showed some improved takedown defence and then lit up Maynard on the feet. The beating Diaz put on Maynard was so bad that the referee had to step in and call the fight off. And you can see Diaz flexing to the crowd while Maynard stumbles away to the side with the referee trying to keep him upright. There was no doubt that Nate Diaz’s boxing skills were elite in MMA. Who do
you guys think has the best boxing in MMA? Comment down below. 4. Michael Johnson Michael Johnson is one of the enigmas in the UFC where one fight he looks like a champion and the next he looks completely flat and uninterested. But when he was matched up to take on Nate Diaz at UFC on Fox card, Johnson came in shape because he knew this was a big opportunity for him. But, unfortunately for Johnson, Diaz also understood the stakes and he showed up in the best shape of his career so far. No more baby fat around his
stomach, Diaz had a six pack, and all that training paid off as he was just a step too quick for the lightening fast Johnson as Diaz hit him with his signature one twos all night and he let Johnson know too. Each time Diaz landed a good shot, he would point at Johnson and mock him. Diaz even tossed in a couple Stockton slaps to top it off. But the real icing on the cake was his post fight interview where he called out Conor McGregor with the iconic line “You’re taking everything I work for, m*****f*****, and I’ma
fight your fucking ass.” Stay tuned to see how that call out ended up. 3. Jorge Masvidal You know you’re a big deal when the UFC makes up a belt for you. And it’s even a bigger deal when someone like The Rock is there to wrap it around the winner’s waist. That’s what happened at UFC 244, where the UFC brought in the baddest m*****f***** belt aka BMF belt for the winner of Masvidal vs Diaz. This event was a spectacle, drawing in the likes of then president Donald Trump as two of the biggest personalities in the sport
clashed. Masvidal was riding a high of having the fastest KO in UFC history as he knocked out Ben Askren in just 5 seconds. And Masvidal came out firing against Diaz too. Winning the first 3 rounds and even dropping Diaz. But getting rocked and bleeding all over the place was nothing new for Nate. That was his M.O. And just as Diaz was looking to build some momentum his way, the doctors stepped in and called the fight as they thought the cut above Nate’s eye was too dangerous to let on. As the crowd serenaded the arena with
boo’s Masvidal was awarded the BMF belt by The Rock but it was Diaz who was getting a round of applause from the crowd as he gave his post fight speech and exited the arena. 2. The Second Conor McGregor Fight At UFC 202, McGregor and Diaz met for the 2nd time just 5 months after this epic first contest. The event would sell over 1.6 million buys and Diaz would take home a 2 million dollar cheque. But that’s not all, he would also push McGregor to his limits. After surviving some ugly first couple of rounds where McGregor
got the best of him, Diaz turned the table on the Irish superstar and began to wear him down with his pressure and mind games, as he constantly taunted McGregor with each clean strike and hitting with him a few Stockton slaps as well. The fight would take home the fight of the night honours as the two put on a show to remember. Diaz would lose via a majority decision but of course he thought he had done enough to win. That seems to be the story of Diaz’s career. 1. The First McGregor Fight If you know anything
about the UFC or Nate Diaz, you knew this was coming in at number 1. Not only is this the biggest moment in Diaz’s career but is one of the greatest moments in MMA history. McGregor was set to face Rafael Dos Anjos for the Lightweight belt but 11 days before the fight, Dos Anjos pulled out with an injury and Diaz stepped in. This was coming on the heels of his Michael Johnson win and everyone was excited to see the pair not only fight, but also trash talk. The 11 day build up was epic as Diaz and
McGregor had some of the most entertaining press conferences in UFC history but it was topped by one of the biggest upsets in MMA. McGregor came in as a big favourite, having just KO’d Aldo in 13 seconds and it seemed like he was going to make quick work of Nate as well as he rocked Nate repeatedly in the 1st round. But Diaz’s iron chin shined through and he survived long enough to flip the momentum as McGregor’s cardio began to fail him and Diaz’s boxing along with his taunts started to pile up to the point where McGregor
shot for a weak takedown, which Diaz easily reversed and ended up choking McGregor out. When Joe Rogan asked him afterward how it felt to shake up the world, Diaz dropped one of the most iconic lines in MMA “I’m not surprised m*****f*****” And with that Nate etched his name in MMA history. Outro If you enjoyed this video, then please give it a like and don’t forget to subscribe to the channel. Hit the little bell beside it so you’re notified the next time we upload a new video. With that being said, you just watched us breakdown 10
Nate Diaz’s biggest fights. See you next time!
