- Nate Diaz
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Nate Diaz 
Born Nathan Donald Diaz
April 16, 1985
Stockton, California, United StatesResidence Stockton, California Nationality American Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Weight 156 lb (71 kg; 11.1 st) Division Lightweight
WelterweightReach 76.0 in (193 cm) Style Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Boxing Stance Southpaw Fighting out of Stockton, California Team Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
El Niño Sports
Fairtex GymTrainer Cesar Gracie Rank Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie Years active 2004-present Mixed martial arts record Total 21 Wins 14 By knockout 3 By submission 10 By decision 1 Losses 7 By knockout 0 By submission 1 By decision 6 Draws 0 Other information Notable relatives Nick Diaz, brother Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog Nathan Donald Diaz (born April 16, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist, currently competing for the UFC in the welterweight and lightweight divisions. He is well known as the Ultimate Fighter Season 5 champion and has amassed victories in Strikeforce, Pancrase, and the World Extreme Cagefighting promotions. He holds notable wins over Takanori Gomi, Manny Gamburyan, Melvin Guillard, Marcus Davis, Kurt Pellegrino and Josh Neer.
Diaz is a graduate of Tokay High School in Lodi, California and holds a brown belt in Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. He is the younger brother of former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz.[1] Diaz is affiliated with the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Pleasant Hill, California, where he trains under Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie.[2]
Contents
Mixed martial arts career
The Ultimate Fighter 5
He was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 5 show, exclusively featuring lightweights. He fought on Jens Pulver's team. In the preliminary round, Diaz defeated Rob Emerson by submission; in the quarterfinals he defeated fellow Team Pulver teammate Corey Hill via triangle choke in the first round. In the semifinals, he defeated Team Penn member Gray Maynard by submission, advancing to the finals where he faced Manvel Gamburyan.
Though Gamburyan won the first round, he was forced to submit in the second round due to the dislocation of his right shoulder as the result of attempting a takedown.[3] With this, Diaz became the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 5.[4]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
After defeating Alvin Robinson at UFC Fight Night 12 he demanded tougher fighters. Diaz was given a match with Kurt Pellegrino at UFC Fight Night 13. Diaz defeated Pellegrino via submission (triangle choke) in the second round. The choke was so well placed that Diaz had time to flex for the crowd and throw up double middle fingers before putting Pellegrino away.
Diaz defeated Josh Neer by split decision at UFC Fight Night 15.[5]
Diaz then fought Clay Guida at UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn 2, losing via split decision. Guida offered his usual offense in his persistence with grappling taking Diaz down multiple times. Diaz was able to flip Guida several times by Diaz's judo-esque switches when Guida had his back. These switches failed to improve position for Diaz. In the 2nd round he was allowed to stand on his feet and open up with his boxing range. After three rounds, the judge awarded Guida the split decision victory. It marked his first loss in the UFC in what was also his PPV debut.
Diaz met Joe Stevenson at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale. Diaz struggled with Stevenson's wrestling skills, and while active on the ground, was controlled with takedowns and top position throughout the 3 rounds, unable to work significant submission offense or stand on his feet. He lost by unanimous decision.
After two consecutive losses by decision, he was billed to headline UFC Fight Night 19 opposite Melvin Guillard. Diaz was knocked down by a right hook seconds into the fight but recovered almost immediately, scoring two trip takedowns despite being flipped once by Guillard executing a judo throw (harai goshi). He displayed a good chin throughout the rest of the fight, maintaining composure even when hit flush several times, becoming more accurate and effective with his boxing in the second stanza, and after backing up Guillard with a left and right jab combo, his opponent (in a move somewhere between playing possum & showboating) backed up until he bounced off the side of the cage, missed with a swing and looked to take Diaz down. At this moment Diaz locked in a modified guillotine choke or a half Peruvian neck-tie, using his right leg to keep Melvin in position. He nodded to the crowd in attendance before Guillard tapped and won at 2:30 of round 2.
Diaz faced Gray Maynard on January 11, 2010 in the main event at UFC Fight Night 20, a rematch from when the two met in the semi-finals of the TUF 5 lightweight tournament, where Diaz won. Diaz lost in a controversial split decision to Maynard, as the former TUF winner was given the nod in the FightMetric reports, winning rounds two and three.[6]
After three losses in four fights, Nate considered making a permanent move up in weight to the 170 lb. weight class, stating "I don't make enough money to have to drop this much weight so I'd like to fight at 170 and only go to [155] every once in awhile."[7]
He then entered into talks to make his welterweight debut at UFC 111. A fight against Rory Markham was later confirmed.[8] At the weigh-ins, Markham weighed in at 177, whereas Diaz weighed in at the welterweight limit of 171 and the fight was changed to a catchweight fight. Diaz went on to win the fight by TKO in the first round.
After the win over Markham, Diaz stated he would compete in both weight classes. His next fight was again at welterweight against Marcus Davis on August 28, 2010 at UFC 118. Nate Diaz won the fight by using his reach advantage to great effect, peppering Davis with punches that caused considerable damage over time. Diaz finished Davis via guillotine choke in the final round; the bout earned Fight of the Night honors.[9]
Diaz lost by unanimous decision to Dong Hyun Kim, on January 1, 2011 at UFC 125.[10] Diaz was taken down and controlled by Kim for the first two rounds. While Nate won the final round by pushing the action against a fading Kim, it was too late. Diaz lost the fight 29-28 on all judges' score cards.
Diaz fought Rory MacDonald on April 30, 2011 at UFC 129.[11] Diaz was unable to mount much significant offense, failing at takedowns, and was largely controlled by MacDonald, losing via unanimous decision. Following the loss, Diaz stated that he would be moving back down to the Lightweight division.
Diaz defeated Takanori Gomi on September 24, 2011 at UFC 135 via armbar in the first round. During the fight, Diaz showed improved boxing, completely outboxing Gomi and also showed good ground skills, transitioning perfectly from the triangle to the armbar.[12]
Diaz is expected to face Donald Cerrone on December 30, 2011 at UFC 141.[13]
Strikeforce: Nashville Brawl
During the post-fight interview after Jake Shields' victory over Dan Henderson on April 17, 2010, Jason Miller rushed into the cage without permission, and asked Shields, "Where's my rematch, buddy?". Both Gilbert Melendez and Jake Shields pushed Miller, which was followed by Nick Diaz throwing the punch to start the brawl. Diaz, his brother Nick and Gilbert Melendez would then attack Miller . The brawl was then broken up by referees, members of Dan Henderson's corner and security. Diaz and five others were given three-month suspensions and fines of $5,000-$7,500.[14]
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed Martial Arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- The Ultimate Fighter 5 Lightweight Tournament Winner
- Fight Of The Night (Four times)
- Submission of the Night (Three times)
Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown 21 matches 14 wins 7 losses By knockout 3 0 By submission 10 1 By decision 1 6 Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes Win 14-7 Takanori Gomi Submission (armbar) UFC 135 September 24, 2011 1 4:27 Denver, Colorado, United States Lightweight bout, Submission of the Night. Loss 13–7 Rory MacDonald Decision (unanimous) UFC 129 April 30, 2011 3 5:00 Toronto, Ontario Loss 13–6 Dong Hyun Kim Decision (unanimous) UFC 125 January 1, 2011 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Win 13–5 Marcus Davis Technical submission (guillotine choke) UFC 118 August 28, 2010 3 4:02 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Fight of the night. Win 12–5 Rory Markham TKO (punches) UFC 111 March 27, 2010 1 2:47 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. Scheduled for Welterweight, Markham weighed in at 177lb; changed to a Catchweight. Loss 11–5 Gray Maynard Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz January 11, 2010 3 5:00 Fairfax, Virginia, U.S. Win 11–4 Melvin Guillard Submission (guillotine choke) UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard September 16, 2009 2 2:13 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. Submission of the Night Loss 10–4 Joe Stevenson Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale June 20, 2009 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Fight of the Night Loss 10–3 Clay Guida Decision (split) UFC 94 January 31, 2009 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Fight of the Night Win 10–2 Josh Neer Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs Neer September 17, 2008 3 5:00 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Fight of the Night Win 9–2 Kurt Pellegrino Submission (triangle choke) UFC Fight Night: Florian vs Lauzon April 2, 2008 2 3:06 Broomfield, Colorado, U.S. Submission of the Night Win 8–2 Alvin Robinson Submission (triangle choke) UFC Fight Night: Swick vs Burkman January 23, 2008 1 3:39 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Win 7–2 Junior Assunção Submission (guillotine choke) UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs Florian September 19, 2007 1 4:10 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Win 6–2 Manvel Gamburyan Submission (injury) The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale June 23, 2007 2 0:20 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Won The Ultimate Fighter 5 Loss 5–2 Hermes Franca Submission (armbar) WEC 24 October 12, 2006 2 2:46 Lemoore, California, U.S. For WEC Lightweight Championship Win 5–1 Dennis Davis Submission (keylock) Warrior Cup August 12, 2006 1 2:00 Stockton, California, U.S. Win 4–1 Joe Hurley Submission (triangle choke) WEC 21 June 15, 2006 2 2:03 Highland, California, U.S. Win 3–1 Gil Rael TKO (punches) WEC 20 May 5, 2006 1 3:35 Lemoore, California, U.S. Win 2–1 Tony Juares TKO (punches) Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie March 10, 2006 1 3:23 San Jose, California, U.S. Loss 1–1 Koji Oishi Decision (unanimous) Pancrase 2005 Neo Blood Tournament Finals August 27, 2005 3 5:00 Tokyo, Japan Win 1–0 Alex Gracia Submission (triangle choke) WEC 12 October 21, 2004 3 2:17 Lemoore, California, U.S. References
- ^ Acosta, Danny. "Another Unbreakable Diaz". Sherdog.com. http://sherdog.com/news/articles/Another-Unbreakable-Diaz-14404. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
- ^ Iannotti, James (February 27, 2008). "Jake Shields black belt under Cesar Gracie". MMAmania.com. http://mmamania.com/2008/02/27/jake-shields-black-belt-under-cesar-gracie/. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
- ^ Stupp, Dann (June 24, 2007). "Manny Gamburyan Confirms Shoulder Dislocation". MMAjunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/2485/manny-gamburyan-confirms-shoulder-dislocation.mma. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
- ^ Gerbasi, Thomas (September 16, 2008). "Nate Diaz – The Throwback". Ufc.com. http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=14571. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
- ^ "Sherdog Fightfinder: Nathan Diaz". Sherdog.com. http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterID=11451. Retrieved January 23, 2008.
- ^ http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/1/12/1247678/fightmetric-report-for-gray
- ^ http://sherdogblog.craveonline.com/blog/2010-01-12#22010
- ^ "Nate Diaz headed to welterweight, could meet Rory Markham at UFC 111". mmajunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/17600/nate-diaz-headed-to-welterweight-meets-rory-markham-at-ufc-111.mma. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ "Marcus Davis vs Nate Diaz official for UFC 118 in August". MMAjunkie.com. 2008-06-22. http://mmajunkie.com/news/19659/marcus-davis-vs-nate-diaz-official-for-ufc-118-in-august.mma.
- ^ "Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim Added to UFC 125 on Jan. 1". mmafrenzy.com. 2010-10-06. http://mmafrenzy.com/16170/nate-diaz-vs-dong-hyun-kim-added-to-ufc-125-on-jan-1/.
- ^ "Nate Diaz meets Rory MacDonald at UFC 129". mmajunkie.com. 2011-01-14. http://mmajunkie.com/news/22102/nate-diaz-meets-rory-macdonald-at-ufc-129.mma.
- ^ "Takanori Gomi vs Nate Diaz fight set for Sept. 24 in Denver". mmamania.com. http://www.mmamania.com/2011/6/21/2234562/ufc-135-takanori-gomi-vs-nate-diaz-fight-set-for-sept-24-in-denver. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
- ^ Marrocco, Steven (October 30, 2011). "Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz targeted for UFC 141 in Las Vegas". MMAjunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/25880/donald-cerrone-vs-nate-diaz-targeted-for-ufc-141-in-las-vegas.mma. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
- ^ Coker on King Mo-Babalu Stalemate, International Shows, 135 Women’s Tourney, Kharitonov Signing and More
External links
- Official site of Nathan Diaz
- Professional MMA record for Nathan Diaz from Sherdog
- Official UFC Profile
Allen Berube · Nathan Diaz · Rob Emerson · Manvel Gamburyan · Brian Geraghty · Corey Hill · Joe Lauzon · Gray Maynard · Brandon Melendez · Cole Miller · Gabe Ruediger · Marlon Sims · Noah Thomas · Andy Wang · Wayne Weems · Matt WimanCategories:- American mixed martial artists
- Mixed martial artists from California
- American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent
- Lightweight mixed martial artists
- Welterweight mixed martial artists
- 1985 births
- The Ultimate Fighter winners
- American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- People from Stockton, California
- Living people
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
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