Nate and Nick Diaz are potentially more prone to CTE due to their fighting style, says Sean O'Malley's coach amid drug controversy
When discussing the toughest and most resilient fighters in the UFC, the names of Nick Diaz and his younger brother Nate are certain to be thrown in the mix.
While Nick had limited fights in the UFC, his prime days in Strikeforce produced classics, such as his one-round war against Paul Daley. Nate, on the other hand, scripted iconic moments in the UFC, including an upset victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 196 and nearly finishing Leon Edwards at UFC 263 despite massive odds.
Recently, Sean O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch raised concerns about the Diaz brothers’ fighting style and its potential link to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Their fighting style, which involves absorbing significant damage while pressuring opponents, seemingly makes them vulnerable to long-term brain injuries. This risk extends beyond the octagon to their sparring sessions, where they reportedly endure heavy blows.
Without relying on explosive speed or fast-twitch athleticism, Nick and Nate compensate with toughness and endurance, often eating numerous shots to overwhelm opponents. Speaking about their approach and the Stockton stars potentially being prone to CTE on his YouTube channel, Tim Welch said:
"I mean dude both the guys, the style they have and not even the damage they take in fighting... But you know they're sparing boxing like that. They're just wearing 10-15 shots to just stay back on you. But guys like that, who pressure you, they're not super fast and athletic. They're gonna have to eat those shots and then keep pressuring."
Check out Tim Welch's comments below (1:01:20):
Joe Riggs talks about Nick Diaz's mental warfare
Joe Riggs recently claimed that his fight with Nick Diaz was one of the most mentally draining moments of his career. Riggs, who was landing clean, powerful shots, expected to see Diaz falter, but instead, the Stockton native kept walking forward, seemingly unfazed by his rival's attacks.
Riggs also recalled the biting insults Diaz threw mid-fight, including calling him “Jared from Subway." Riggs went on the win the fight by unanimous decision despite Diaz's constant trash talk. Speaking about the experience fighting Diaz with Sean O'Malley's coach Tim Welch, Riggs stated:
"Nick Diaz for sure [got in his head]... For some reason for that fight I could hear Joe Rogan like say... He would comment about how he was just walking through shots and it f*cks with you mentally. He called me Jared from Subway. He knocked me down in the first round and then we we just in some scramble, got back to feet and then he hit me with the body shot. And then he's like, 'You're done fat f*ck."
Check out Joe Riggs' comments below (59:45):