Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz is going to be hard to beat
by MMAmania.com on Jan 31, 2010 12:01 PM EST
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Props: ShoSports
Quoteworthy:
"I'm proud to be doing what I do. I wasn't hurt at all [in this fight]. My lip got cut a little, but I wasn't hurt, I was fine.... My gameplan was that I am a better all-around fighter than him, so I was going take what I was going to get. Try and set up my punches. Set up my body punches -- not let him breathe. Set up the knee to the body. Set up the knee to the leg. I'm going to control him on the fence. Control his wrists. I'm going to get the takedown. I'm going to work the guard. I'm going to pass it. I'm going to take that leg and break it off.... I had a plan and counter for everything. I'm a well rounded fighter. That's the difference between me and the rest of the fighters in the world.... It's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication [to beat me]. I'm ahead of the game."
Newly-crowned Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz puts all potential 170-pound title challengers on notice shortly after his dismantling of DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis at Strikeforce: "Miami" last night to capture the vacant crown. Perhaps the only problem is that currently the promotion's talent in the weight class is thin -- Jay Heiron is more than likely the only worthy adversary at this time. Hayato Sakurai is also apparently under consideration. If Diaz is able to eventually topple the "Thoroughbred" or "Mach" if and when they collide, don't be surprised to see him move up in weight to take on bigger-named opponents. There's a rematch with Robbie Lawler that likely has to happen (if he stays with the promotion) and Diaz even called out light heavyweight Gegard Mousasi in his post-fight remarks. This could get interesting ...
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diaz’s ufc losses have to be taken with a grain of salt. he was a 20 yr. old kid when he was in the ufc. and even then he had a top notch submission game, he just knew he had to work on his striking because he couldn’t find any opponent willing to go to the ground with him. well i’d say he’s definitely improved his striking game, i don’t see a better boxer in mma right now. couple his superior jits with a top notch boxing game, i’d say he could be a handful for anyone in a couple different divisions. i’m just not sure if landing 95 strikes in a round is valued that much in the ufc’s judges eyes
no, that’s why it gets tougher for real fighters in the UFC. basically ufc judges are homo’s and they prefer homo action with alot of hugging and takedowns which shouldn’t count anywhere.
fresh like uhh.
lolololololololol
Real fighters, hugging and there shouldnt be takedowns. Dude I think you want to go watch boxing, I honestly believe that you have MMA mixed up with boxing and or you just dont get it bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nick Diaz is the man
This guy is the most entertaining fighter. I’m always excited to watch him and he always delivers. I love his style as he peppers guys on the feet and even though his shots don’t look powerful, guys get dizzy when they stand with him. His ground game is amazing and he’s so hard to put away; he can scrap his way out of dangerous situations like no other.
Amazing fight last night…this guy is so fun to watch!
Just Do It
-Nike
How would he do against a wrestler
I would like to see him fight a world-class wrestler.
I wonder if Sanchez would do a rematch after he found out that he won’t be 155 champ anymore.
by MMA-Supplements on Jan 31, 2010 4:29 PM EST up reply actions
I think Diaz would destroy Jay Hieron I wasn’t impressed with what I saw from him against Riggs last night
by 49erEmpire on Jan 31, 2010 12:20 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Diaz vs GSP
That’s great for Nick that he won the fight, but any disussions around being one of the best welterweights in the world, or having the chance to beat GSP are ridiculous. There’s a reason this guy is fighting in Strikeforce…..he got his ass handed to him in the UFC, and if he came back over, he’d be lucky to find himself rated in the top 10. Nick is a good fighter, but let’s try to keep things in perspective…..
Yeah
Strikeforce doesn’t have a Fedor in every weight division obviously. I think Hardy could take Diaz.
Hardy/Diaz would be the pre-fight trash talk to end ALL trashtalk..would be legendary stuff...make Tito/Ken look like a friendly get together
Fedor once bet NASA he could survive re-entry without a spacesuit.
On July 19th, 1999, a naked Fedor re-entered the earth's atmosphere, streaking over 14 states and reaching a temperature of 3000 degrees. An embarrassed NASA publically claimed it was a meteor, and still owes him a beer.
Hardy has no GG to compete with Diaz. If Davis can tool Hardy on the ground then Diaz will have a field day.
Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth.
-Stephen King
but he has good strikes and is pretty big damn big ww, doubt Nick would be able to take him down.
fresh like uhh.
I doubt your doubt. Davis is a little guy and he took Hardy down several times.
Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth.
-Stephen King
Leg trips have nothing to do with height or bulk. More than one way to get a TD.
Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth.
-Stephen King
diaz is strong
He doesn’t look strong but he seems to get his way in the clinch. I think his height does play a factor and he seems to use that leverage to his advantage.
Just Do It
-Nike
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been saying this for a year now. He wants to be a big fish ina very small pond. That’s it…
Calu
top 5 imo
he is still young and will make it back to the ufc………and i can see how he is a danger to gsp..elite boxing for A MMA fighter…dangerous guard and cardio unmatched…..and who cares if he is fighting in SF im sure the UFC would be more then happy to sign nick…not everyone wants to fight in the ufc all the time…but he will get back….and beat guys like rumble daley hardy kos maybe even fitch…i think he would destroy swick….
Shane Cawin....the next UFC HW champ....Mir......another puffy face with an added broken jaw....Brock you're next
No not top 5, he beat up marius zaromskis.
What would happen to him if he fought hell even Daley? You think he can overwhelm a studied striker like him. His takedowns suck as always, he would get highlight reeled. His chin might hold up for a little bit but the power would eventually crack him. On the other hand, a division filled with dominant wrestlers is not a good look for him. They would just lay on top of him and he would yell at the ref and insult them to get off.
by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Jan 31, 2010 1:25 PM EST up reply actions
I think Diaz would make Daley tap like his training partner Jake Shields did
by 49erEmpire on Jan 31, 2010 1:32 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
To be honest am just not sure about nick, I have been a fan of him for a long time but I don’t know how he matches up against the very top fighters. People think he is the best chance of beating gsp? I don’t see it to be honest, I also think he struggles with alves fitch kos and hardy ( still not sure bout Semtex tdd ). One thing I am sure of tho is that I want to see him back in the ufc and give him The chance to proove me wrong. Oh and Anderson would kill him no matter how much he thinks different lol
by eagzy on Jan 31, 2010 12:23 PM EST via mobile reply actions
as far as how Diaz matches up, just a reminder that he lost to Parisiyan, Sanchez, Riggs and Sherk before escaping to friendlier matchups…..
also remember Nick Diaz is a different fighter and more complete fighter than when he was in the UFC and he got robbed against Parisyan and Sherk and Riggs IMO his only real convincing loss was to Diego but Diaz has really changed since his days in the UFC
by 49erEmpire on Jan 31, 2010 12:40 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I agree that the fight against Karo could have gone his way…..but his loss to Riggs and Sherk were both unanimous decision. Sure, he’s a better fighter now, but so is everyone else. He’d get creamed by upper echelon of the 170’s in the UFC, that’s all i’m saying.
I could see Diaz putting up great fights against guys like Mike Swick, Paul Daley, Anthony Johnson and even Koscheck
by 49erEmpire on Jan 31, 2010 12:58 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
umm….UD doesnt matter he was robbed in the riggs and sherk fight……and he trains with shields day in and day out and that is the upper echelon at ww imo…..he would do very well in the ufc nowadays considering he was 20-21 when he was in the ufc….
Shane Cawin....the next UFC HW champ....Mir......another puffy face with an added broken jaw....Brock you're next
The thread title is misleading.. It should state:
Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz is going to be hard to beat by the severely weak, limited and watered down WW division between Strikforce & Dream..
He’s a big fish in a baby pool.. He’d drown again in the ocean..
8-29-09
Keith Jardine is now known as "The Dean of Antihistamine" because he is always sleeping early in fights..
Truth....
Let’s see how he does against Hieron, a solid top 15 guy, first.
by NNR (formerly NameNotRequired) on Jan 31, 2010 1:27 PM EST up reply actions
UNTRUTH!
Let’s hold all assumptions (negative or positive) until he starts beating ranked fighters. I think it is fair to say that Diaz is a solid fighter who has progressed since his early UFC days.
Any other opinions are based on a strong dislike for Diaz. looking at MMAuthority
Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth.
-Stephen King
hmmmmm
Nick lost very close dec in the ufc he could have got the nod in all of them imo besides the diego fight…that being said i think he is a top 5 ww right now. He is a elite boxer among mma fighters and you really cant say he throws pitty pat punches anymore because he is putting power behind his range finders now……i knew he would finish marius on the feet even called the body shot setup for a tko…thats 3 in a row now setup by a body shot……i can see him taking daley,rumble,hardy,swick,kos and maybe even fitch…….gsp…ehh he would get beat but he would hurt gsp standing…and he does have a very dangerous guard now………..fuck it DIAZ for president
Shane Cawin....the next UFC HW champ....Mir......another puffy face with an added broken jaw....Brock you're next
alves striking with his 66 inch reach isnt that gr8 imo..i mean look who he has kod…..people with no striking if he was put in there with diaz he would get batterd….diaz took smiths hardest punches right on the chin and didnt even blink….alves would only be able to land leg kicks really and get crushed on the feet
Shane Cawin....the next UFC HW champ....Mir......another puffy face with an added broken jaw....Brock you're next
Diaz can make top 5. Kos, Fitch and GSP would give him problems. He beats the rest...
Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth.
-Stephen King
naah, he’d beat Fitch quite easily. He’s 10 times better standing and much better on the ground. Alves would be a tougher fight with his legkicks.
fresh like uhh.
Alves is overrated. Fitch is underrated because he is boring.
Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth.
-Stephen King
Haha, nice. See why Fitch is boring is just because he lacks skill, only thing he’s good at is wrestling. Alves is very good standing, better than most and is incredibly powerful.
fresh like uhh.
yes he does, but considering fights are scored on who lays on top the most i’d say it’s not surprising at all as that is his only real thing he has working for him.
judges score fights like the only thing that matters is the wrestling.
fresh like uhh.
C'mon RoBerto......
I can understand not liking Fitch because fof his style, but you really think Diaz would beat Fitch easily?? It’s the other way around….Fitch would take this guy down at will…and yes, it wouldn’t be a very exciting fight…….and yes, Diaz would throw his arms up afterward in disgust and frustration…..and yes, Fitch would have another unanimous decision.
didn’t you just read what i posted? read my post above yours and you’ll see and understand why Fitch has a great chance of winning. I dislike the scoring way more then i do Fitch, what he does shouldn’t be enough to win fights IMO
fresh like uhh.
I really hate diaz bro's
They are good fighters but where was papa diaz to teach them about sportsmanship. I wonder if they wear the scowl when they train, or is that just for the cameras.
well Nick grew up without his biological father in his life so that could be something but it’s not like they go around insulting people I’ve seen Nick at Pacific Coast Martial Arts in Stockton where he used to teach (not sure if he still does) he shows respect to everyone and seems like a really cool guy
by 49erEmpire on Jan 31, 2010 2:05 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I stand corrected. Never met him in real life. His jackass behavior towards his opponents must be all show then your saying?
It’s not all show I think he just is in a whole different mindset when preparing for a fight and sometimes says things he shouldn’t but really he hasn’t talked much shit at all lately about his opponents he actually showed a lot of respect for Zaromskis and he always had respect for Shamrock
he still hates giving interviews but I don’t think that will ever change
by 49erEmpire on Jan 31, 2010 4:59 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Still not sold on Diaz
Take nothing away from his fight with the Whitemare……he did look good. Whitemare didn’t fight very smart and paid for it. Who lets a guy knee him in the leg 30 times without trying to break away from that? Shamrock looked like crap and I believe was nursing an injury in their fight….again Diaz looks good. Let’s put him in there was a top guy and see how he fares. Did he really call out Mousasi? Would love to see that fight but not gonna happen because of the weight diff and Mousasi doesn’t want to fight at 185 anymore assuming Diaz would put on 15 lbs to meet him there.
yea when did he call out Mousasi? was it a different post-fight interview?
by 49erEmpire on Jan 31, 2010 2:36 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Alves
Everyone is talking about how diaz lost to Sanchez, Riggs, Karo, And Sherk in his early UFC days.
But i haven’t heard anything about Thiago getting submitted by Spencer Fisher. And TKO’d! by Fitch?
Wtf.
Diaz vs. Alves would be an awesome fight. Neither would dominate each other.
Diaz is turning into one of my favorite fighters to watch. Say what you will about him, he comes to fight in a big way and I love his attitude in the cage. It may bite him in the ass, the whole holding up his hands to taunt in the stand-up, but it is original, he patented it and it’s fun to watch. I’m not saying I’d want a bunch of other guys acting like him, but I’m glad there’s at least one guy out there with his attitude, because it makes it entertaining.
His production on his feet and the relentless way he stays in your face is what makes him so hard to deal with. It also maybe what loses him some fights because he can get caught coming in by someone with power. But he is top 5 right now in my opinion, it’s just really close.
1. GSP
2. Fitch
3. Alves
4. Kos
5. Diaz
6. Hardy
7. Daley
Diaz had a ton of experience against top level competition and he’s really come into his own. If he returned to the UFC he would be a threat immediately. How can you not want to see him fight GSP? The only problem is that his wrestling is his weakest link and the UFC has some great wrestlers at WW beyond GSP in Fitch and Kos. He could hang with the strikers in Hardy and Daley and then he would have the decided edge on the ground.
As Joe Rogan would say about him: “he’s a savage.” Glad to see him do well.
Nah...
I wouldn’t put Diaz in the Top 5 just yet, although I would say with this win he now breaks the Top 10.
1. GSP
2. Fitch
3. Alves
4. Koscheck
5. Shields
6. Hardy
7. Daley
8. Swick
9. Kampmann
10. Diaz
Really gutted that Zaromskis lost though. This was his Top 10 Breakthrough fight too. I guess I saw what I was holding out for though; his performance against top fighters.
I hope he comes back stronger. I still think he can break the Top 10, so long as he tightens up his defence a bit. He almost had Diaz at one point, but couldn’t follow up.
Some ground skills wouldn’t go a miss either….
DIAZ breaks thru
I wouldn’t put Diaz behind Swick and Kampmann. Both those guys have looked bad in recent losses to Hardy and Daley. Diaz has the momentum of three big wins. Yeah, they weren’t in the UFC, and you can claim Shamrock is over the hill. But Smith and Zaromski are tough guys at or near their prime and Diaz finished them both. Current momentum counts for a lot in my rankings.
Shields would be right there were he not currently fighting at MW. I believe Hendo will knock him back down to WW were he belongs, but a brutal KO will kill some of Shield’s momentum at any weight class. If Shields can survive Hendo and look decent (no way he wins, sorry, not chance, terrible match up for him) then he will be right there with Nick around the top 5. One of them should go to the UFC if they don’t want to fight each other.
Daley and Hardy are still a little one dimensional to be put ahead of Nick at this very moment, but we will see how they fare in their next fights. If and when GSP destroys him, Hardy he will drop out of the top 10 pretty quick. But I reserve the chance that Hardy proves to be more of a challenge then people expect. Who knows? He’s still really unproven against the best of the best. Diaz is much more of a known quantity and he is really coming into his own.
Disappointed with Zaromskis
Where the hell was his defense? He took all punches right in the face :(
by Lester The Pimp on Jan 31, 2010 3:09 PM EST reply actions
Me too
Didn’t fight smart at all. Poor showing on a big stage. Still surprises me those slapping hooks from Diaz do as much damage as they have against this guy and back against Lawless a long time ago.
hell yeah
I’d love nothing more than to see Miller come out with one of his stupid way too long entrances and then get KTFO or tap to Nick Diaz
WAR DIAZ !!! U guys gotta give Nick hi props!
I love his fights. Zaromskis is no joke that was a gr8 fight! & he’s rite , Nate got robbed his las fight!
by d*locc on Jan 31, 2010 3:52 PM EST via mobile reply actions
So what's next for Nick Diaz
This thread has been interesting…….so what’s next for Nick? Does he continue in SF so he can retain a belt and continue to crush cans…..or does he make the leap back to the UFC? I’ve already stated that i think he’d be lucky to crack to top 10, but I not above saying that he’s a much better fighter than when he left. Is there something else that’s keeping him from coming back? Is he in Dana’s doghouse for any reason? At some point he’s gotta come back over and start fighting some real fighters.
Agreed, would love to see Diaz back in the UFC
I think it will happen and soon, just don’t think SF can offer him the kind of money the UFC can. I would say he’d probably be a Top 5 WW in the UFC right now, behind GSP, Alves, Kos, and maybe Daley. But he’d certainly be a contender and add some needed new blood to that division.
There are no such things as lesbians, just women who have not yet met Chuck Norris
Ready for the best at WW
Bear in mind Diaz has been beating up MWs recently until the Zaromski fight and he is definitely a natural WW. Zaromski is no can either, he is a tournament Dream Champ.
Doesn’t mean Nick is instantly one of the best WW’s in the world, but I think he could seriously challenge anyone in the world at that weight class other than GSP. If he came to the UFC, I think he would be only a couple fights from a title shot.
First he should fight someone like a Kampman, Conduit or Swick. Very winnable for him. Then an Alves or Fitch. Both those guys would be tough for him, he would surely be an underdog, but I could also see him pulling it out.
GSP is running out of challengers. Would be great to see Diaz come back. But Shields may beat him to it if he is decapitated by Hendo.
Veteran of 100 triathlons
No wonder he can keep that pace up. Equal to his skill is his ability to take punishment and shots to the chin, Nick and Nate have heads of stone. When he fough Karo, he said it was a bad matchup for him, I thought Karo won, but I definately thought he beat Riggs. When he lost to Sherk, Sherk had only been beaten by Hughes and GSP and was one of the top fighters around, so there was no shame in that.
The Knock On
Diaz is all his losses. And someone who knows MMA knows the guy was too young when he was in the shark tank the UFC provided then. I have never seen a Diaz fight that I didnt get impressed (Except the KJ Noons fight). His boxing and stand up is ridiculous and lots of guys will have issues with it. He is top 15 P4P in my book.
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