Georges St-Pierre's coach names UFC welterweight as the 'scariest street fighter in MMA'
Firas Zahabi has a reputation as one of the greatest minds in modern MMA, having coached UFC great Georges St-Pierre throughout his impressive career.
Zahabi recently revealed which UFC fighter he believes would be the most effective street fighter.
Despite Jorge Masvidal actually having a background as a street fighter, Zahabi instead went for a different fighter from the same division. Zahabi's pick is Stockton's own Nate Diaz.
Zahabi's top UFC street fighter pick
Speaking to RT Sports News, Zahabi had the following to say regarding his choice of Diaz being the UFC athlete most suited to bringing his fighting skills to the street.
"If you put Nate Diaz in a fight where there is no time limit, I think, he beats ninety nine percent of fighters. You can't sub him, you can't finish him. The guy doesn't stop walking forward. He puts volume on you. He is the scariest street fighter in MMA. I think, if you had to fight him in the street you are in a fight for your life. If he had no time limit in the fight with Leon Edwards, he beats Edwards. And I have tremendous respect for Edwards."
Jorge Masvidal will likely feel somewhat disappointed not to have cinched such an accolade. Not only because of his previously mentioned street fighting background, but because he has actually fought Nate Diaz and looked the considerably more dominant fighter.
Masvidal landed almost at will on Diaz, causing multiple lacerations to Diaz's face. It was these lacerations that caused the doctor to end the fight, rather than allowing Diaz to continue taking damage. Whilst Diaz would have happily continued, the fact remains that Masvidal was comfortably winning the fight.
Zahabi's choice has likely been heavily influenced by Diaz's recent UFC performance against Leon Edwards. Diaz comprehensively lost the first four rounds of the fight. However, in the last minute of the fifth round, Diaz landed a clean combination on Edwards that sent him stumbling back.
Diaz could likely have finished the fight had he not chosen to instead point and laugh at Edwards. As a result, when Diaz did step forward in an attempt to finish the fight, he quickly ran out of time. This left many fans saying while Edwards may well have won the competition by the UFC's protocol, it was Diaz who won the fight.