They're back!
The bad boys of MMA, Nick and Nate Diaz, are finally back at the same time, in the same organization: The UFC. The Gracie Jiu-Jitsu blackbelts are renowned for their indifferent demeanor toward opponents and fearlessness toward any fighter they face. The two MMA fighters have a bond that is rare and feed off each other as training partners and, of course, as brothers. Nate has been fighting in the UFC since his career began to take off, never leaving the organization. But Nick has been in and out of the UFC over his career, mostly due to his marijuana use. He recently got done serving his 18-month suspension from fighting after he tested positive for marijuana in January 2015.
I have been watching Nick Diaz for over a decade now and have always loved his swagger. This guy would seemingly give his opponents no respect by talking crazy amounts of trash before a fight; trash talking that was almost always full of expletives. Then he would make fun of opponents during fights as well, cursing and taunting them throughout. Then, usually, Nick would knock out or submit his opponent. But! He would always shake hands and give respect when the fight was over. I have seen him TKO an opponent. help him up, hug him and give the man he just beat down verbally and physically a peace offering in the form of a bow. Until Nick Diaz, I had never seen anyone like him in the fight game.
Until Nate Diaz was introduced.
When Nick's younger brother Nate Diaz was competing on The Ultimate Fighter Season 5, I had a feeling about him before they even mentioned his name. I remember turning to my friend and saying "Man, that dude looks like he could be Nick Diaz' brother or something!" As it turns out, I was right. As soon as his name was unveiled and he himself confirmed he was Nick's brother, I knew he was going to walk away with that season's contract. Nate Diaz finished all of his fights on TUF-5, talked trash throughout his stay in the competition, making it obvious and, oftentimes, blatantly clear that he was not there to make friends. In the end he was rewarded with a 6-figure contract to fight in the UFC. They fought the same way too, had the same style. Almost as if Nate Diaz was a doppelganger of Nick Diaz. Still, I couldn't help but wonder: where was Nick?
I hadn't seen Nick Diaz compete in the UFC for a few years by then. I found out later that Dana White, the UFC president, didn't particularly like Nick Diaz personally. On top of that, Nick had failed drug tests multiple times over the years, refusing to quit smoking marijuana saying it was for his anxiety and pain. When the TUF-5 finale was airing, Nick Diaz was seen in his brother Nate's corner. Nick gave his brother water between rounds and shouted advice during the fight (which Nate won by submission). But all the while I was thinking Nick must have retired or something. When the official decision was made by Bruce Buffer at the end of the fight, Joe Rogan interviewed Nate Diaz. Rogan always interviews the winner (and sometimes the loser) after a fight so there was no shock there. The real shock is what Nate said to Joe Rogan.
Nate thanked Dana White and the UFC for the opportunity, his coaches, his team, and of course his older brother Nick. He made it VERY clear that the UFC had basically blackballed Nick Diaz. Nate said security wouldn't let Nick into the building to help as his cornerman that night. He went on to say that Nick got no respect from the UFC as a whole and that the security team working the event didn't even know who Nick Diaz was which is hard to believe for two reasons: 1. The Diaz brothers look almost like identical twins. 2. As a UFC fighter, Nick Diaz had some pretty amazing fights including an upset, highlight reel KO over Robbie Lawler.
Nick ultimately went to Strikeforce, a different MMA organization, and dominated for over 5 years while holding the welterweight title. When the UFC bought Strikeforce in 2011, they were left with no options but to let the reigning Strikeforce champion fight in the UFC. Nick Diaz was back with aspirations to win the UFC's welterweight belt. His first fight back in the UFC was against the legendary former champion B.J. Penn. In dominate fashion, Nick outboxed B.J. Penn (which nobody had ever done) and went on to win by Unanimous Decision.
Now the two brothers were finally fighting in the same organization. For me, it was amazing because they are basically the same fighter in different divisions (lightweight for Nate and welterweight for Nick). They are both phenomenal at boxing, amazing at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, plus they have the same swagger, attitude and personality. But, most important, they both had a patented move: "The Stockton Slap".
The brothers are from Stockton, California and are proud of it! If you haven't seen the move, it's exactly how it sounds. The two brothers use "The Stockton Slap" as a jab, measuring distance between themselves and their opponent. Unlike a jab, however, it really doesn't cause any significant damage. (Needless to say, it really pisses off their opponents during a fight.) When a boxer can gauge distance, the punching combinations start flowing. That's the Diaz style. Nobody else does it. It wasn't ever used as an intentional maneuver, either. It's just how they fight.
Nate had been in the UFC for awhile by the time Nick came back to the Octagon, making his own mark as a top lightweight contender while his older brother Nick was racking up victories in Strikeforce. Nate had almost double-digit wins but only one title shot since he won TUF-5. Nate lost that lightweight title fight by decision. Nick went on to fight for the welterweight title, but he lost by Unanimous Decision to then champion Georges St. Pierre. After the fight, Nick was flagged for failing his pre-fight and post-fight drug tests. There was marijuana found in his samples. He was suspended for 18 months from professional fighting in ANY form. No boxing or MMA.
For a Nick Diaz fan, this was obviously devastating. He just got back to the most prestigious MMA organization in the world only to be suspended and kicked out again. So many athletes get caught using steroids and get suspended, but marijuana should not warrant any kind of suspension especially when he lives in a state where medicinal marijuana is legal. Nate was put on a backburner of sorts, winning and losing equally while fluctuating weight classes between 155 pounds (lightweight) and 170 pounds (welterweight).
On August 1st, 2016, Nick Diaz was officially reinstated after serving his suspension and is eager to fight soon. While suspended, Nick's brother Nate has become one of the best known names in MMA. The reason for Nate's heightened popularity is for winning a fight which happened to be one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history. So Nate Diaz is now on talk shows, ESPN, everywhere because he beat the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world who happens to be the featherweight champion and the rematch is on everybody's mind. Now that Nick is back, the UFC has two brothers that carry the Diaz moniker (and all that comes with it) and can possibly hold titles in their respective divisions.
Whether you love them or hate them, one thing is certain: There is nobody in any sport like Nick and Nate Diaz. I, personally, can't wait to see them fight every time they step inside the cage. They are world-class fighters, world-class brothers, and world-class trash talkers. Everyone else from Chael Sonnen to Conor McGregor don't come off as sincere as Nick and Nate. They come off like WWE wrestlers or something; FAKE. The Diaz brothers don't talk trash to sell tickets like everyone else, they do it because they can. Plus they mean every (often expletive) word they say. A wise man once said "It ain't being cocky if you can back it up". So what would you call Diaz trash talk? I call it truth. It's not fake and never forced. It's always just another speech from "Dem Boyz From Stockton, Yo!"
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