Opportunities Abundant for the Resurgent Nick Diaz
by Leland Roling on Feb 5, 2010 12:38 PM EST
in MMA Events
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In the sport of mixed martial arts, strategy and criticism play a significant role in a fighter's success. From fight to fight, gameplans are formulated to create an optimal chance of victory, and those gameplans normally play into a fighter's strengths. When those gameplans fail, constructive criticism from coaches is normally a foolproof way to improve attributes in one's skill-set or pre-fight strategies to get back on the road to success.
Nick Diaz could be considered a hybrid of this progression, or some would say a "renegade". When the odds are stacked in his favor that his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt could easily overwhelm his opponent, Diaz aims to please the casual fanbase with his peppering boxing instead. In fact, the chance that Diaz will try to out box any opponent is about as high as the chance Diaz will partake in "recreational drug use" when he isn't fighting.
Fans were overly critical of Diaz's strategies in the cage during his EliteXC stint when he barely slipped by Hawaiian Mike Aina at EliteXC: Uprising and lost via cut to K.J. Noons only two months later at EliteXC: Renegade. Both performances had many industry writers claiming Diaz was on the down slope of his career.
Diaz was only 24 years of age when he was defeated by Noons, yet some analysts felt that his heavy schedule of 25+ fights, style of fighting, and increasing scar tissue around his eyes was a sure sign that he would retire from the sport early. Fortuntately for fans, Diaz put a stop to those claims as he rattled off six straight wins from May 2008 to January 2010.
His two most recent wins, a rear-naked choke victory over Scott Smith in June of 2009 and an impressive destruction of DREAM champion Marius Zaromskis last Saturday, have suddenly put Nick Diaz's name back in the mix as a potential top ten welterweight. His style, one that was overly criticized in the past, has become not only a desirable attribute in the marketability of him as a main event fighter, but it's become something spectacular to watch.
The criticisms that Diaz's punching was "too weak" and resembled "patty cake" were thrown out the door on Saturday. While the technical boxing was what we would call "pitter patter", it's tough to tell Nick Diaz that it isn't a strategy worth pursuing in any fight.
Now the question becomes whether Strikeforce can truly leverage Nick Diaz as a Chuck Liddell or Tito Ortiz of the promotion. Can he be a guy who can draw in droves of fans for his exciting style of dominating boxing and jiu-jitsu while simultaneously talking the talk?
It's an interesting debate, and nearly every fan will respond with a resounding "No" due to the market share that the UFC holds over Strikeforce. But network television appearances and successful performances like that on Saturday night have a strange way of increasing a fighter's stock substantially.
Talking the talk shouldn't be a problem either as the vulgar and "Stockton, son!" attitude that Nick Diaz wears proudly can produce hype for fights. Zaromskis wasn't exactly a prime candidate for Diaz to pick on in the weeks preceding the fight, but be sure that Diaz will turn up the volume of his voice box in the future.
Can Nick Diaz become a drawing power for Strikeforce? I think he can with the right performances on a major show. The Showtime event was a perfect way for him to increase his stock with Herschel Walker adding some curious watchers to the mix, but an explosive performance on a CBS card would be ideal.
A more ideal situation, however, is what lies in the land of Zuffa. Strikeforce could be a situation in which Diaz takes full advantage of what he's being given currently in terms of exposure, and he could turn that exposure into huge marketability in the UFC with the added bonus of a lucrative contract.
He'll also have a huge quantity of fighters to pick from to battle, and there are a lot of intriguing fights that would offer both an interesting style match-up coupled with a war of words. The fact that his skill seems to be improving and that he's still only 26 years of age adds to the desire to see him back in UFC as well. I can't even imagine the hysteria if he was successful and earned a spot as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter.
Hardcore fans should flat out want to see Nick Diaz fight. His performance on Saturday night was unbelievable to watch, and the remaining question is whether those performances are enough to draw in the casual fans as well. The most intriguing prospect is a move to the UFC following his Strikeforce stint, but can Strikeforce create a big enough drawing power in Diaz to lure him back into a new contract? It all depends on Nick Diaz.
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I’ve always defended Nick’s striking, and I feel bad for any fighter that goes in expecting those punches to not hurt. Good technique and speed will do the same amount of damage as brute force, when in the right hands. And buddy, it looks like it’s in the right hands.
It’s scary to think that he’s finishes so many fights on the feet, while he still has a great ground game to back him up. And he’s not done learning.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
Well, here’s an angle almost nobody mentions. You can’t really bomb Diaz when he’s throwing all these punches right into your face. You’re just seeing leather in your face at all times. Not only is it doing some damage, it’s hindering your vision and ability to counter. And that’s a testament to Diaz’s accuracy and volume.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Feb 5, 2010 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
Exactly, thats why someone like Scott Smith couldn’t go for his usual come from behind bomb, I’m surprised that he could breathe, let alone think to throw a counter punch.
Thinking “punches in bunches” when Nick is brought up hardly gives it justice…he punches by the dozens and lands more times than not. I like it, and am glad to see Diaz really starting to leave his mark.
"You guys are jerking eachother off with some pseudo deep bullshit." - Kid Nate
by Kaleb Kelchner on Feb 5, 2010 12:56 PM EST up reply actions
I’ve forgotten, what were the terms of Diaz being released from the UFC. Did he get cut outright, or did he leave on his own terms?
I believe his contract expired and he decided to sign with EliteXC.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Feb 5, 2010 12:46 PM EST up reply actions
Yep
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Here’s another link. Funny to see White so respectful, haha. http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Nick-Diaz-should-be-in-the-UFC-but-won-t-play-th?urn=mma,217805
My view is that as long as Nick doesn’t improve his wrestling he will never be a major threat. I hope he does.
i've always
Told people about diaz’s strikes. People seem to not remember he didn’t always strike like this. He used to load his punches like most people in mma. Somewhere along the line he learned speed, accuracy and consistancy make it more likely to get the knockout then just throwing bombs.
(In reference to nate) One other thing people seem lost on is the weight cut. Too often fans try to say if someone is bad in one division dropping down is the best option… Sometimes you lose power/speed/chin when you cut. I’ve met both diaz brothers, I’m 6’ 220 when I’m slacking. They are big boys and I do believe nate is similar to nick in that he’s still growing into his adult body and probably should be fighting at 170. I think its going to be a few years before we see the best nate… And I think the best nick is yet to come.
by JaeeJaee on Feb 5, 2010 1:11 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Also, Nick’s striking has gotten a lot better since moving back up in weight.
The pitter-patter talk came from the Aina fight which was at 160. once he started moving back up, he started finishing people again.
People seem to not remember he didn’t always strike like this. He used to load his punches like most people in mma. Somewhere along the line he learned speed, accuracy and consistancy make it more likely to get the knockout then just throwing bombs.
This probably started to change around the time he started training with Andre Ward… although I’m unsure of when that started.
by exsanguinator on Feb 5, 2010 4:57 PM EST up reply actions
If I had to guess I would say you are on the money there.
MMA is amazing in that it has made leaps and bounds in the grappling department. Now high level guys are crossing over into other arts rather then just saying “that’s not jiu jitsu, thats not judo”. These martial arts have had purist for years… but with the new surge we are seeing a breed of grapplers we have never seen before.
Striking in mma is still in its infancy… while a select few really seem to have it down, the next aspect of the game to be revolutionized is the strikes… your anderson silvas, nick diaz’s , bj penns and so fourth are going to bring in a new area where striking and the ground game are blended like never before, and strikes are going to be deployed to much more technically and strategically. I foresee many misconceptions we have being shattered. I.E. that boxing doesn’t translate well. I disagree with that because the fighters who I know to have been pro boxers before mma were sluggers… While it doesn’t directly translate, neither does bjj or wrestling. I have a feeling we have yet to see what a true technician of boxing can do… For any who disagree I say look at nick diaz and realize he is no where near the top of the boxing food chain and he is looking very impressive.
His future shouldn't lie with Strikeforce
Scott Coker mentioned that Diaz’s future lies in both WW and MW, but i cant see how many attractive and viable fights there are for him in Strikeforce in either weight catagory.
At WW he’s obviously not going to fight Jake Shields, I wouldn’t mind seeing him fight Hieron but its not exactly a main event and I dont think anybody is really bothered about Sakurai (who has lost his last two).
As for middleweight, he’s already beaten half the guys in Strikeforce’s small stable. Maybe a rematch with Lawler or fights with Cung Le and Mayhem would be interesting at best, but weight classes are there for a reason. He’d be putting his health in jeopardy if he went in against Hendo. Diaz should stay at Welterweight but he needs opponents that Strikeforce haven’t got. If he can ‘play the game’ as Dana White put it, he should definitely head back to the UFC (imagine the smack talk between him and Paul Daley).
If StrikeForce could line up Hieron, Karo, Riggs (if he rebounds with a win or two), and a catchweight bout with KJ Noons for Diaz, then they wouldn’t even need a marketing department.
I wouldnt part with my money for any of those fights (except maybe Karo). I think Diaz could go straight to a co-main event or headline an UFN in the UFC against Hardy, Fitch, Daley, Koscheck, Swick, Sanchez… the list goes on.
They wouldn’t have to market Hieron? I watch a LOT of MMA and I’ve only seen the dude fight like 1-2×. Honestly, not a single one of those matches has any appeal at all to a casual fan. They could at least manufacture some heat for KJ Noons with highlights of their last fight and the revenge angle, but that’s about it. And IIRC, Diaz is done with 155
Medical drug use!
It’s totally not recreational, you guys. He has a med card. Those are, like, really hard to get in California. Quit hatin’.
/sarcasm
I’ve been feeling guilty about being a Nick Diaz fan for some time, but the guy has one hell of a persona and a good amount of talent. If he shores up his wrestling, he could be a top 5 WW in a years time. I think he’s already a tough fight for Hardy or Swick.
Also, I’ve been living life by WWNDD for a week or two. It mostly consists of not giving a fuck, being nobody’s bitch, getting unreasonably angry at anything, and occasionally shouting “209!” for no particular reason.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
I wrote something similar to this called “striking gold” a few days ago, but i never submitted it because my recreational ramblings were far less eloquent than lelands. i’ve been a rabid nick diaz fan for some time and i’m glad he gets this kind of recognition. My only question is about his takedown defense. He lost decisions to great wrestlers en route to leaving the ufc and his past opponents arent exactly the stellar wrestlers at ww that zuffa boasts. he’s definately a top 10 but i see kos, fitch, alves, obviously gsp beating him. I’d love to see him matched up against hardy, swick, thiago, kampmann, or condit if he ever went to the ufc, which i’m under the belief he will because they would probably give him a 75 to 85 base with a potential win bonus that sf hasnt offered, and he’s guaranteed for a few fotn. So thats my two cents
by Austin Martin on Feb 5, 2010 1:18 PM EST via mobile reply actions
My thoughts exactly. It makes me giddy thinking about the hype that could be created from that fight.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Feb 5, 2010 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
i’d like that, or him vs. condit, because they have similar styles, and neither has td defense. it would probably end up being an epic brawl
by Austin Martin on Feb 5, 2010 6:48 PM EST up reply actions
Nick Diaz is the man
I think Nick can come back n the ufc and start wrecking the top ten. He has good boxing with top notch jits, and his take down defence is still a ? . I think he would defeat everybody except gsp, right now. I think he should come back and fight the winner of fitch, alves. I think if he fought the pit bull it would b an awesome fight.
by J smooth 420 on Feb 5, 2010 1:20 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I’d love to see Nick back in the UFC. He’s obviously gotten better so it would be great to see how he’d handle a wrestler like Kos or Fitch these days.
But I"d be curious to see how much the UFC would pay him. He got $100K guaranteed (no win bonus) from Strikeforce for his last match. Would the UFC go for something like 65K/65K? Thiago Alves is at 60/60 and Kos is at 53/53.
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