5 forgotten reasons why Nick Diaz is an MMA superstar
Nick Diaz is one of the biggest superstars the sport of MMA has seen. His charismatic, no-f**ks-given attitude, brutal honesty and fearless persona makes him stand out from the rest. The Stockton-native has not competed since 2015, but remains quite relevant in the sport to date.
The former WEC and Strikeforce welterweight champion makes waves every time he is spotted at an MMA event. Nick Diaz recently made headlines when UFC president Dana White revealed he was in talks with the legend regarding his comeback.
Diaz will return to action after more than six years when he faces former UFC champion Robbie Lawler in a rematch at UFC 266. The event has fight fans hyped out of their wits, and rightly so. The massive return of one of the biggest UFC superstars is going to be historic, and is tipped to break plenty of pay-per-view records as well.
On that note, here are five reasons why Nick Diaz remains an MMA superstar.
#5. Nick Diaz vs. Anderson Silva
Nick Diaz faced one of the greatest middleweight MMA fighters and former UFC champion Anderson Silva at UFC 183 in 2015. Coming into the fight, 'The Spider' was the favorite by a considerable margin. However, it was Diaz who won hearts by proving he was scared of no one.
Diaz taunted Silva from the get-go and invited him to lay hands on him. Silva, who was coming off a one-year hiatus following a freak injury, stayed on the back foot, knowing very well what Diaz was capable of. As far as the concept of spectator sport goes, Diaz ticked every box during the fight.
Showcasing why he was one of the baddest men on the planet, Nick Diaz put on a cold exhibition of trash-talking in MMA history against Anderson Silva. Perhaps the best moment was when Diaz laid down on the octagon floor and invited the former UFC champ, who has the longest title reign in promotion history, to inflict some damage on him.
Nick Diaz put on a war, and kept landing devastating blows on Silva in most of the rounds. Although he lost at the end via a unanimous decision, he proved he was a fighter to the very core of his heart.