Nick Diaz spars with Andre Ward ... so how did he do?
by Jesse Holland on May 10, 2011 10:11 AM EDT
in Strikeforce News
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He did good! Well, sort of. I think.
Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz is working diligently to prepare for an upcoming boxing match against former Super Middleweight Champion Jeff Lacy, who agreed to welcome Diaz to the "sweet science" later this year.
To help get his hands up to snuff, the wily Stockton slugger is mixing it up with current WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, who shares his experience of working with Diaz in a recent conversation with ESPN.com.
"Nick has good hands, some of the best hands in MMA. But professional boxing is totally different. Totally different. I can’t really talk about [how he did]. That’s something fighter’s don’t reveal out of respect for each other. It was good work though. He’s a southpaw and he just keeps on coming. It’s definitely good work."
Sounds like Nick's a good workout. But is he a good boxer?
Diaz, who recently scored an improbable come-from-behind victory via first round technical knockout over British striker Paul "Semtex" Daley back on April 9, has been vocal about finding new challenges outside the Strikeforce promotion.
The Stockton, Calif., native is riding a 10-fight win streak and has finished all but one of his opponents in dominating fashion. Coach Cesar Gracie even told HDNet that Diaz has a "re-worked" contract that allows him to dabble in the sport of boxing, where you don't have to worry about takedowns or lay 'n pray.
If Diaz gets crushed in the "sweet science," expect a hasty return to the cage. But will he be stuck in San Jose until the Showtime contract expires? Or can Zuffa finagle a UFC return? And who would Diaz fight if it could?
Opinions please, but don't "Rush" to judgment.
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Translation
Nick pays me to spar with him, so I will not throw him under the bus.
Considering how quickly most sparring partners rave about how great their partners are in MMA, it is very telling that the best thing Ward could come up with is that Nick “keeps coming”.
"And some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak...Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movements and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us."
Martin Luther King
yes, i would NOT take this
..As positive news coming from Ward. This sounds exactly like he’s simply not gonna throw Diaz under the bus, as you stated. He said as little negative as he could, but lead us to the conclusion that he’s not up to par to compete as a boxer w/o saying it.
www.momdaymorningblackbelt.com
by daniel worby on May 10, 2011 10:27 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
^This.
I tend to be biased towards strikers . . . exciting strikers.
- - - - -
VEe is ANIMated!
by VeeisAnimated on May 10, 2011 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Take notes, Jon Jones.
You don’t talk about what “happens at practice”.
Lol
(I stand at 112 in my lone man wolf pack pool)
'Primitive Magic is replaced by Religion, which in turn is replaced by Science'
-JGF
by *Californication* on May 10, 2011 10:37 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
and when you were a kid
you used to shit your pants. I am not going to hold that against you forever.
ur just mad he has a bigger junk then u do
by TheSpiderWin on May 10, 2011 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Kevin ain't jealous! Real talk!!!!
"Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth." - Stephen King
No, I think he's still a upset that Jones made him eat his words.
I could not help but save these knowing what was going to happen.
There isnt anyone that Jones has EVER trained with that has the skill level of Shogun, Jones will have a major OH Shit moment, when he finds himself in the cage with Shogun…but this loss to Shogun will be the best thing to have ever happened to him , and really help elevate his game to another level!
The level in skill will be a huge shock to Jones when he finds himself in the cage with shogun…
There isnt anyone in the jackson camp that can help Bones get ready for the type of stand up and razor sharp guard that shogun has in his arsenal. I love me some BOnes JOnes, but he wont beat Shogun in March. Shogun is just too tough and light years ahead of bones in skill. Shogun can Ko him or submit him! Shogun will successfully defend his title!
Jones will be champ eventually, but not right now. His loss to Shogun will really elevate his game even further, cause he will finally get to taste what an elite fighter is made of!
Bones better not dare put shogun on his back…I watch Jones wrestling and he is careless with the placement of his arms when he has top position…Shogun would armbar him in an instant!
Shogun can finish Jones standing or off his back!
Lucky for Rashad, Bones isnt ready for a fighter of Shoguns Magnitude!
Not even in training, does Jones get to experience striking or a razor guard like shogun posseses. There is no one in the jackson camp with that type of stand up or ju jitsu assualt.
At this point in Jones young career, he isnt ready for SHogun, and a 5 week training camp does him a huge dis service.
Jones wont win the title at UFC 128, its just not his time, but eventually that title will be around Bones waist. Its inevitable!
Jones has all the hype but people forget how damn good and tough Shogun is!
at 23 years old, shogun was a much better and accomplished fighter then Jones is now at the age of 23.
Sorry Johnny, your time will come, but right now its the shogun era! Shogun will successfully defend his title for the second time come march
in my experiences
The thing that i noticed from training was how much more willing to die mma fighters are. They truly seem to have little to no regard for many boxers.
I hope Nick beats Lacy but he has to use his aggression to throw Lacy a curveball
Death Before Dishonor
by Lesnar's striking coach on May 10, 2011 10:16 AM EDT reply actions
In my experiences...
Boxers tend to make MMA fighters look bad when they’re sparring stand up. Obviously…that goes without saying.
I do see what you mean about MMA fighters and their willingness. But what I’m saying is that it usually ends up being their downfall when paired up with a boxer. If anything, that extra aggression will get them in trouble. Especially against any half decent boxer who knows how to counter…
I’m not sure what you were getting at…Nick should stick to MMA. I don’t see him doing well in boxing. Especially in any fight worth taking.
Agreed 100%.
"Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth." - Stephen King
as a trainer i was describing
the way it was different fromw hen i went from boxing with boxers compared to boxing with mma fighters.
And no i have seen mixed martial artists make boxers look dumb. Not due to technique per say but because many mma particpants are fighters then martial artists.
Its like when someone says ’he’s a boxer not a fighter’.
Plus Andre Ward is doing one of two things and thats A) not overhyping Nick Diaz or B) he doesnt want to kill the fight before it happenms by throwing nick diaz under the wheels
Death Before Dishonor
by Lesnar's striking coach on May 10, 2011 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Or could he be protecting his beloved boxing? There does seem to be a little rift between boxing and MMA.
It's all about the entertainment.
lets just cut the shit right now. it has gone on long enough. ick aint boxing anyone...he will use this to leverage his way into a UFC title shot against SAFE Pierre.
hope he punches that boring pussy straight in the mouth!
I know nothing of boxing but I thought I read somewhere that boxing is better paying.
It's all about the entertainment.
Better paying as far as their stars
But undercard fighters dont get paid much.
Professional sig bet record: 1-1-1
I love nick Diaz and I'm excited for his boxing debut
With that being said, I fear for his safety in this bout. Boxing is totally different as ward said and I agree he’s hinting that Diaz has a long road ahead of him. It’s still early in the camp and training so it’s perceivable he could grow in the stand up but will it be enough to hang with Lacy?
by emperorj on May 10, 2011 10:48 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
"He did good"
He did WELL; Superman does GOOD.
You’re a writer?
You created an account
to make this post? Jesse likes to infuse a little humor in his articles, which explains the grammar above.
GTFO.
"soon as you see the poke coming, shut your eye lid."
- Danago
"Anderson fought with no ribs. Aldo fought with no foot, go do the math."
- Danago
+2
"Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth." - Stephen King
+7
"And some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak...Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movements and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us."
Martin Luther King
we cant use proper grammer here...
but we can count is sequential order
+8
by The Masked Marauder on May 10, 2011 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
you're gonna miss the obvious grammar mispelling?
geez, fail
by I.AM.miSTAKen on May 10, 2011 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Now if we were REALLY going to be grammar police,
‘Kinda’ is not the correct word. Kind of is perfect. GOSH!
"Im the oldest I’ve ever been, right now" – Tim Sylvia
I was expecting Ulf to come out with the big guns.
The character of a man is always proven after faillure - not after success.
I was just following the herd for once, but if you insist
+∞
"And some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak...Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movements and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us."
Martin Luther King
LOL
People who don't have the patience for the technical aspect of MMA should think about getting into another sport. THIS ONE requires BRAINS.
by i_am_awesome_o on May 10, 2011 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions
It would serve you WELL...
to shut the hell up.
by The Masked Marauder on May 10, 2011 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Marauder needs to post more. Funny stuff from him.
"Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth." - Stephen King
u will not be dissapointed
MMA
hw-velasquez,gonzaga,yvel,overeem,buentello
lhw-rua,bones jones,mr.wonderfull davis
mw-belfort,palharres,cung le,big dog almeida
ww-alves,rumble johnson,diaz bros,daley,sanchez
lw-melendez,g-sot,aoki,pettis,huerta,alvarez
fw-garcia,aldo,torres,benavidez
K-1
Badr hari
gokan saki
remy bonjaski
tyrone spong
overeem
ernesto hoost
oops
MMA
hw-velasquez,gonzaga,yvel,overeem,buentello
lhw-rua,bones jones,mr.wonderfull davis
mw-belfort,palharres,cung le,big dog almeida
ww-alves,rumble johnson,diaz bros,daley,sanchez
lw-melendez,g-sot,aoki,pettis,huerta,alvarez
fw-garcia,aldo,torres,benavidez
K-1
Badr hari
gokan saki
remy bonjaski
tyrone spong
overeem
ernesto hoost
Diaz will beat Lacey.
The type of “fight” that most MMA fighters come at you with(especially Nick) is enough to make most boxers break. Nick wont be looking to score points and not get scored on, he will be looking to break Jeffs ribs and batter his face up.
Make sure to check out Brian Hemminger’s awesome internet radio show "The Verbal Submission" on Sunday nights at 6:30 p.m. ET. View episode archives at www.blogtalkradio.com/verbalsubmission. Follow Brian on twitter at twitter.com/GotaHemmi
Lol
If Diaz comes lurching forward constantly against a boxer (albeit washed up) like Lacey, it will be boxings equivalent of A.Silva vs Forrest Griffin, only shorter and more brutal.
Lacy still has power, if nothing else.
"And some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak...Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movements and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us."
Martin Luther King
And a hundred times more skill
He’s an olympic level boxer and former world champ for christs sake, even old and washed up he’ll have far too much in the bank for a punk like Diaz. Like lacy will never have encountered an aggressive fighter before who constantly moves forward pushing the pace??? If that’s all Diaz has, he’s in for a BRUTAL beatdown.
hell yeah
lacy just has a long layoff, but i dont think he has lost his skill
Plus Diaz has not shown any defense in MMA. He would get countered in boxing and there is no GG to escape to if he can't absorb the volume of punches.
"Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth." - Stephen King
Before you guys go on
Lacy’s last fight was a loss was against a guy with a 23-19 record. It was pretty one sided as well.
The character of a man is always proven after faillure - not after success.
I will take your word for it but you would be surprised at how much skill a "scrub" at the professional level has compared to MMA fighters. I am not saying Diaz would get destroyed but his lack of defense is a big liability at this point.
The granite chin defense always has an expiration date.
"Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth." - Stephen King
Im not counting Lacy out.
But I wouldnt say he is a safe bet. Nick has shown he can come back from getting rocked and almost finished, whilst Lacy has shown he wilts when he is the one being pressured. See Calzaghe fight.
The character of a man is always proven after faillure - not after success.
LOL
Nick Diaz aint joe Calzaghe my friend. He’s a sloppy MMA brawler.
I will be betting the house on Lacy in this.
Well yea far from it.
But check out Lacy’s last fight. A mediocre journeyman, applied the smae strategy that Calzaghe did, and ended up beating Lacy pretty soundly.
The character of a man is always proven after faillure - not after success.
Yes but the question is does Diaz have the same boxing technique needed to apply that strategy? At this point I would say no. If Diaz had been in boxing for a few years then its plausible - but not right now IMO.
"Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth." - Stephen King
Well...
He and his bro have been training with Espinosa and Robison for quite some time….
And Espinosa has just the type of fighting style that would cause lots of problems for a guy like Lacy.
The character of a man is always proven after faillure - not after success.
enjoy being homeless.
Jon " Bones " Jones new UFC light heavyweight champion. Even if Jones got struck flush in the face he would recover and defeat whoever is in front of him. I told everyone the fight would be easy. Anderson Silva would never fight "Bones". He is too scared to fight the real P4P champion. Nick Diaz, the man who will prove to the MMA world that he is the best WW in the world.
by wolfmanshowlforever on May 10, 2011 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Dude...
Calzaghe is one of, if not the, best boxer of all time.. not really a good comparison by any means
enzo
by enzo-enormous on May 10, 2011 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions
And how did Nicks last pro boxing match go??
Oh there hasn’t been one!
lacy is washed up but he’s still 500 rungs higher up the ladder than Diaz could ever hope to get.
Dont let a win over sloppy hooker/brawler Daley in MMA fool you into thinking this guy has anything like the skill to complete against a former world champ.
He actually does.
He has only one win. Against another guy that was also debuting.
The character of a man is always proven after faillure - not after success.
Bit of a step up in class then for a second pro fight then
don’t you think??? Easily a step too far!
haha
Just saying man, dont be surprised if Diaz ends up thrashing Lacy.
The character of a man is always proven after faillure - not after success.
What's the word, K-dog? You going to post more often? I need more Bizzzzbbbbing bashing in Mania.
"Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth." - Stephen King
I get on when i can my old friend, not as much as I'd like to though
Bizzzzz has been quiet lately, I haven’t had any stories to sink my teeth into.
One of these daft threads where people think a sloppy MMA striker has a chance against an ex world champion boxer will always wake me from my slumber though.
when bisping fights andy bisping will knockout silva. there is your headline.
old man silva’s days are numbered.
Jon " Bones " Jones new UFC light heavyweight champion. Even if Jones got struck flush in the face he would recover and defeat whoever is in front of him. I told everyone the fight would be easy. Anderson Silva would never fight "Bones". He is too scared to fight the real P4P champion. Nick Diaz, the man who will prove to the MMA world that he is the best WW in the world.
by wolfmanshowlforever on May 10, 2011 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Classic.
"Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth." - Stephen King
Haahaa. Were U been @ dog?
Sum maniacs were telling me u died!
Word is born
Fight the war, fuck the norm
Now I got no patience
So sick of complacence
With the D the E the F the I the A the N the C the E
Mind of a revolutionary
So clear the lane
The finger to the land of the chains
What?
The land of the free?
Whoever told you that is your enemy
Now something must be done
About vengeance, a badge and a gun
So rip the mike, rip the stage, rip the system
I was born to rage against 'em
Fist in ya face, in the place
And I'll drop the style clearly. Know your enemy
by d*locc on May 10, 2011 1:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Well didnt Marcus Davis have a very impressive pro boxing record???
I know hes not the same level as Lacey and faced less competition but we saw waht Nate did to him and Nate is half the striker nick is.
Make sure to check out Brian Hemminger’s awesome internet radio show "The Verbal Submission" on Sunday nights at 6:30 p.m. ET. View episode archives at www.blogtalkradio.com/verbalsubmission. Follow Brian on twitter at twitter.com/GotaHemmi
Jeff Lacy is gonna mess nick up.
Same goes for any other MMA who wants to try and fight a top level boxer. Just like boxers don’t stand a chance in the cage. They are just two completely different things.
by XxPRIDEFIGHTERxX on May 10, 2011 11:29 AM EDT reply actions
The problem with your statement
is that Lacy is no where near a top level boxer. At one time he was pretty good, but he failed once he fought top competition and never returned to his glory days. I wont be surprised if Nick wins this one. I can say if I feel that he will, but I wouldnt be surprised if Lacy breaks under pressure
enzo
by enzo-enormous on May 10, 2011 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
He broke under Calzaghe so he could possibly fold against Nick.
But do you think Nick would beat Calzaghe? No way.
by XxPRIDEFIGHTERxX on May 10, 2011 11:44 AM EDT reply actions
Easily
I told you kids Rua was gonna run through Jones, but no one listened. The hype train has made its last stop, and the "mighty" Jon Jones has fallen. Shogun tore him up with his muay thai, and dominated in every aspect of the fight. He came in fully prepared and got the job done, like I knew he would. Still the greatest p4p of all time. And STILL UFC LHW Champ, Mauricio Shogun Rua.
TROLLING, TROLLING, TROLLING
"And some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak...Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movements and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us."
Martin Luther King
The only thing worse than being Canadian is being a dumb Canadian. I have proven that that’s what I am with my inconceivably poor ability to pick MMA fights, especially ones involving other dumb Canadian fighters. I am officially the lowest of the low, and admit to that fact from this day forward. May God Bless America, Land that I Love…
by Bigger Zino on May 10, 2011 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I got this Ulf. . .
reply much?
"soon as you see the poke coming, shut your eye lid."
- Danago
"Anderson fought with no ribs. Aldo fought with no foot, go do the math."
- Danago
lol
"And some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak...Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us. If it is, let us trace its movements and pray that our own inner being may be sensitive to its guidance, for we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems so close around us."
Martin Luther King
Lacy should beat Nick
He’s been in 30 fights with 4 losses, 3 of those losses were to top level boxers( Lacy, Taylor, and Jones Jr) I dont think Nick is at that level, but lacy hasnt fought since feb 2010 so the layoff might hurt him alot
he lost 6months ago bruh...
To a friend of my friends..nice guy by the name of Dhafir Smith, capable fighter but not a world beater and he reportedly tapped up Lacy with ease…fuck Diaz….first Fernando Vargas and now Lacy? Familiar names with severely eroded skills…TRUST ME WHEN I TELL YA!!! THIS HAS BEEN RESEARCHED WELL! MAXIMUM HYPE/RESULTS WITH MINIMUM RISK!!!!
.2010-12-11 Dhafir Smith 165¼ VS Jeff Lacy 168 25-3-0 Jannus Landing, Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States W UD 12 referee: Max Parker Jr. | judge: Alex Levin | judge: Mike Ross | judge: Don Trombley Judges scores:110-118, 111-117, 112-116
"Fuck Ceasar Gracie, and fuck the fuckin' Diaz brothers! Fuck'em all! I bury those cock-a-roaches!"-Rory MacDonald
by Fat Daddy Doobs on May 10, 2011 5:20 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
my bad
cant follow all of the boxing, there is too much
its all good...dont blame you at all...
The fight wasn’t covered well and the fact that he lost was seemingly smothered by the publicists…as a matter of fact, the homie Dhafir already has had another fight and made LESS than he got for beating Lacy! Think he kinda got blackballed…Just illustrating the point that Diaz is handpicking shot fighters based on past accolades and not current ability/skill & challenge level..so his yapping about boxing is all bullshit as usual..
"Fuck Ceasar Gracie, and fuck the fuckin' Diaz brothers! Fuck'em all! I bury those cock-a-roaches!"-Rory MacDonald
by Fat Daddy Doobs on May 10, 2011 9:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Nice insight.
"Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty. Only enemies speak the truth." - Stephen King
Edit^^^^^
Calzaghe, not lacy fighting lacy haha
Diaz needs to fight GSP so he can get his ass handed to him and leave WW division
Overrated chump that just beat a bunch of no names in Strikeforce.
Booo!
People who don't have the patience for the technical aspect of MMA should think about getting into another sport. THIS ONE requires BRAINS.
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