The Top Five Nate Diaz Moments in the UFC
When you think of some of the most legendary fighters in UFC history, you think of some of the greats, including Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, B.J. Penn, Daniel Cormier, and a laundry list of others. One man who has written his name in stone on this list in recent memory is Nate Diaz. While Diaz may have never reached the mountaintop and won a UFC title, he is without a doubt one of the biggest stars in company history. His fight at UFC 279 was the last fight on his deal and has said he will not be returning to the organization. This is a great time to remember his time in the UFC by looking at the five greatest moments in his career.
5) Submitting Kurt Pellegrino with two middle fingers in the sky
In April of 2008, on the heels of his victory at The Ultimate Fighter, Diaz went on a three-fight win streak, all by submission. One of those submissions was against Kurt Pellegrino when he made Pellegrino tap to a sick triangle choke. While the submission was great, what happened during it is what fans remember. Diaz famously flexed his muscles mid-submission and even threw up two middle fingers to the sky right before he tapped.
#4) A record-setting performance against The Cowboy
UFC 141 was built around the clash of the titans in Alistair Overeem and Brock Lesnar. But the co-main event had just as much hype around it, as two of the biggest fan favorites in the UFC squared off, with Diaz going up against Donald Cerrone. During the face-off before the fight, Cerrone flipped Diaz off and refused to shake hands, all while Diaz remained calm and composed. What came next was a masterpiece. Diaz set a UFC record, landing a staggering 82% of his strikes against Cerrone, and handing Cerrone his first loss in the UFC. My favorite part of this fight is in the third round, where after landing a vicious combo, Diaz would return the favor and flip off Cerrone. The scenes.
#3) Nate Diaz Wins The Ultimate Fighter
Season 5 of The Ultimate Fighter saw Nate Diaz run wild on everyone in the house, finishing all three of his fights, then finishing Manny Gamburyan in the finals to secure the title and a UFC contract. His personality shined in the house, making every week must-see television and making the season one of the best in the history of the show.
#2) That Conor McGregor promo
This is what really kickstarted Nate Diaz’s career revival. At the time of this fight against Michael Johnson, Diaz had not won a fight in over two years and was a MASSIVE underdog. Diaz would go on to dominate Johnson, and when he took the mic after the fight, he took his chance to call out Conor McGregor. I know everyone reading this has heard this promo two dozen times or more but watch it back one more time. I know I did.
#1) He wasn’t surprised, MF
The submission that shocked the world.
The build-up for Diaz and McGregor’s first fight at UFC 196 was one in which Diaz didn’t stand a chance. After Conor McGregor’s original opponent Rafael dos Anjos pulled out on 11 days’ notice, the UFC called both Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo to step in, but neither accepted. Dana White called Diaz, who was on vacation in Mexico at the time, and Diaz immediately started cutting the weight to make the fight happen. Diaz would go on to submit McGregor in the second round via rear naked choke. Joe Rogan would go on to ask Diaz how he felt after he shook the world, to which Diaz simply replied, “I’m not surprised mother f***ers.”
What was your favorite moment of Nate Diaz during his time in the UFC? Let us know in the comments below!
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