"You're never going to get to breathe" - When Joe Rogan discussed how Nick Diaz 'changed the game'
Joe Rogan had the best seat in the house when Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler fought at UFC 47 over 17 years ago.
Speaking with Bellator commentator Josh Thomson on episode 86 of the JRE MMA show, the UFC color commentator broke down what made Diaz a dangerous opponent. Rogan said:
"Nick Diaz changed the game in terms of his elite cardio. He did something that was a new thing. And that new thing was, he's not gonna hit you with a hundred percent power, he's gonna hit you with 50 percent. But he's gonna hit you twice as much and you're never going to get to breathe."
The Joe Rogan Experience host also recounted how he saw Diaz talk an absurd amount of trash to Lawler during the fight.
"The first thing (Diaz) does when he walks into the octagon, he looks over at Robbie and goes, 'Stockton, motherf***er! Stockton!' And then he starts walking around and Robbie was like, 'What is he talking about?'"
Rogan then revealed that Diaz kept his mouth running the entire fight, which he believes affected Lawler psychologically. Ultimately, Diaz's tactics appear to have worked as he knocked Lawler out in round two to secure the victory.
Watch Joe Rogan talk about witnessing Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler 1 below:
Nick Diaz promises to be sportsmanlike against Robbie Lawler
It appears that Nick Diaz has mellowed out throughout the years. The older Diaz brother vowed to remain respectful of Robbie Lawler in the rematch – a stark contrast to their first go-round in 2004.
During the UFC 266 countdown show, Diaz said he'll refrain from talking trash and being rowdy this time as he believes his behavior wasn't the reason he won the initial fight in the first place. Diaz said:
“I’m not going out there to call him names or, y’know, I’m going to be a lot more sportsmanlike, I think, out there. But that’s not what won me the fight last time. That surprised him a little bit, but I would have won the fight anyways.”
Watch the UFC 266 countdown show featuring Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler:
The pair of UFC legends will square off at Saturday's UFC 266 pay-per-view event in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be Diaz's first fight since 2015 while Lawler will be returning from a 13-month hiatus.
Check out Joe Rogan's entire podcast with guest Josh Thomson below: