One of the most one-sided victories of Nate Diaz’s UFC career had Joe Rogan raining down plaudits.
Diaz is one of the most recognizable names in mixed martial arts, both down to his exploits inside the cage and antics outside of it.
The Californian is undoubtedly best known for his two showdowns with the sport’s leading star, Conor McGregor.
But Diaz’s first fight after splitting his bouts with the Irishman was also among his most impressive, and it resulted in Rogan attaching a bold label to him.
- READ MORE: Movsar Evloev sends Dana White a strong message following controversial UFC title shot snub
Joe Rogan branded Nate Diaz the UFC’s ‘most underappreciated superstar’ after comeback triumph
After a three-year layoff following his rematch with McGregor, during which Diaz was scheduled to fight Dustin Poirier before their bout was canceled, the fan favorite returned to action.
Diaz fought Anthony Pettis, a former UFC lightweight champion, in a welterweight bout at UFC 241. Despite his inactivity, the Stockton star dominated ‘Showtime’ en route to a comfortable decision victory.
Among those full of high praise for Diaz was Rogan, who went as far as to describe the Strikeforce and WEC veteran as the “most underappreciated” star in the UFC.
“I’m glad Nate Diaz is getting the love and respect he deserves,” Rogan wrote on Facebook. “I’ve been saying for years he’s the most under appreciated super star in the UFC roster. The roar when that man walked into the arena was second to none, and the fight was excellent.”
Rogan had echoed that sentiment when discussing the success of Diaz’s two fights against McGregor, insisting that the American was just as responsible for drawing eyes to the rivalry as his Irish counterpart was.
- READ MORE: What Justin Gaethje said after fighting Charles Oliveira could worry Ilia Topuria ahead of UFC 317
Nate Diaz competed three more times in the UFC after beating Anthony Pettis
Following his comeback performance against ‘Showtime’, Diaz took to the Octagon three more times before venturing into free agency in 2022.
All three were high-profile affairs — a clash with Jorge Masvidal for the inaugural BMF title, a five-rounder against then-future welterweight champion Leon Edwards, and a fan-favorite PPV main event versus Tony Ferguson.
While Diaz’s TKO defeat to Masvidal and decision loss to ‘Rocky’ threatened a losing end to his UFC stint, the Stockton native secured a fitting farewell when he submitted ‘El Cucuy’ at UFC 279.
He has since been plying his trade in the ring, competing in a pair of boxing showdowns against YouTuber-turned-pugilist Jake Paul and Masvidal.
Diaz remains open to a UFC return down the line, even suggesting that his time targeting titles in MMA’s leading promotion is far from done.