New MMA fans will never truly understand just how good Nick Diaz was.
Today, he’s winless since 2011 and battling some personal demons that mean he hasn’t fought since suffering a third-round TKO loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 in September 2021.
At the peak of his powers, he was the Strikeforce welterweight champion who put together an incredible 11-fight win streak with his unique fighting style.
Legendary UFC commentator Joe Rogan has always been a massive fan of Nick Diaz.
Joe Rogan explains how Nick Diaz revolutionized MMA
Rogan often talks about his favorite fighters on his wildly popular podcast.
The 57-year-old recently named Floyd Mayweather the best boxer of all time.
Rogan also shared his theory on what makes ‘the scariest MMA fighters’, who he believes are born out of a tough childhood that involved some form of physical confrontation at home.
In 2020, he passionately broke down the game of Nate Diaz’s older brother.
The proud Stockton, California native was known for using his world-class cardio as a weapon to drown his opponents with relentless output, rather than trying to put them to sleep with one shot.
Diaz combined that with mid-fight trash talk that psyched out his opponents, who had never encountered a fighter like him as MMA was still in its formative years when he was in his prime.
“Nick Diaz changed the game, in terms of his elite cardio,” Rogan told ex-UFC star Josh Thomson.
“He did something that was a new thing, and that new thing was, he’s not going to hit you with 100 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.
“He’s going to stay on top of you, and he’s going to talk to you the whole time. So, he’s going to f*** with you psychologically, he’s going to disrupt your breathing by constantly hitting you. Once he realizes you’re hurt, then he’s digging to the body, then he’s putting it on you.
“On top of that, black belt jiu-jitsu skills, really good wrestling takedown defense, a f***ing chin of iron, and an unstoppable will. Like, his will to beat you was just unstoppable.
“When Nick was at the top in Strikeforce, to this day, I think he was one of the best fighters that has ever done it.”
Even as one of his biggest fans, Rogan won’t want to see Diaz fight again. The 41-year-old has looked a shell of his former self during his lengthy losing streak, which includes defeats to Georges St-Pierre, Carlos Condit, Anderson Silva, and Robbie Lawler.
Still, he was booked to face Vicente Luque at UFC 310 in December – but the Brazilian fighter ended up choking out Themba Gorimbo on Dana White’s final pay-per-view card of 2024 instead.
Jake Shields provides positive Nick Diaz update
Just days before his fight with Luque was scrapped, worrying footage went viral showing Diaz attempting to light a piece of grass on fire. It led to widespread concern about the iconic fighter’s mental and physical well-being.
Earlier this week, his long-time teammate and friend, Jake Shields, provided a positive update. The 46-fight MMA veteran refused to divulge details about Diaz’s personal life, but he did reassure fans that things are looking up.
“He’s doing a lot better,” Shields said on The Overdogs podcast.
“I’m not going to get into anything personal with him. But he had some stuff that’s been going on for a little while and he’s finally heading in the right direction.
“So, I’m hopeful for Nick because he’s like a brother of mine, one of my best friends.
“Life’s tough sometimes, ups and downs, and things can happen. Nick was dealing with something, and I think he’s headed in the right direction. I haven’t felt that way in a long time. I finally feel a lot better about that situation.
“We’ll see, time will tell. I’m so close to him so it’s painful watching you know someone struggle with some things. But I think he’s going to be finally better.”