Mixed martial arts has featured some of the most unique, complex, and entertaining personalities in combat sports history. Nick Diaz, brother to the equally notorious Nate Diaz, is widely known for his outspoken personality, awkward mannerisms, and insatiable appetite for providing fans with some of the most memorable moments in MMA and out of the Octagon
The 38-year-old Stockton-native has competed in the world's most prestigious MMA promotions including Strikeforce, Dream, EliteXC, and UFC. He recently returned to the Octagon after a six-year layoff to rematch Robbie Lawler in a five-round brawl that showcased the former Strikeforce champion's resilience and forever bond with MMA. Despite coming up short, Nick Diaz has undoubtedly established himself as a future MMA Hall of Famer who will never be forgotten due to his numerous accomplishments as a lifelong competitor in combat sports.
10 Best: Nick Diaz defeats Marius Zaromskis via TKO Round 1 (January 30, 2010)
Diaz's title reign as the Strikeforce Welterweight champion began on January 30, 2010, when he took Marius Zaromskis at Strikeforce: Miami and turned in a performance that fans would not soon forget. After being dropped early in the first round and engaging in survival mode, Diaz was able to recover to his feet where he started to pepper Zaromskis with crisp 1-2 combinations that paid dividends as the fight progressed.
With less than one minute left, he bullied Zaromskis throughout the Octagon using his versatile combinations landing heavy shots to both the face and body before clipping Zaromskis with a short right hook that sent the Lithuanian native to the canvas and ended the bout in favor of Diaz. Shortly after, Diaz was crowned the new Strikeforce Welterweight Champion and began a reign that would last until his departure from the promotion.
9 Worst: KJ Noons defeats Nick Diaz via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) Round 1 (November 10, 2007)
It is not often Nick Diaz gets outclassed, especially early in his career. Despite a formidable effort, Diaz was ultimately dominated by KJ Noons in their first meeting back in 2007 where the pair squared off for the EliteEX Lightweight Championship. Noons was able to land a powerful knee to the face of Diaz during a takedown attempt that resulted in a nasty cut and excessive bleeding.
Noons would go on to dominate round one as the Stockton-native tried to fight through blurred vision and facial damage. Having seen enough, a TKO via doctor stoppage was ruled in favor of Noons. However, this would not be the last time the two would square off as Diaz would later enact his revenge when the two met in Strikeforce years later.
8 Best: Nick Diaz defeats Evangelista Santos via Armbar Round 2 (January 29, 2011)
Diaz's title defense against "Cyborg" Santos was inarguably one of the most entertaining performances of his title reign in Strikeforce history. After a back-and-forth brawl that saw both men land on their feet, Diaz was able to control the shorter Santos using his prolific range, crisp jab, and powerful body punches. The bout is highlighted by a fierce combination which resulted in Diaz unloading five to six powerful hooks to the body of Santos before locking up a smooth armbar for the win in round two. This would mark the second consecutive defense in Diaz's title reign while extending his winning streak to nine in a row.
7 Worst: Diego Sanchez defeats Nick Diaz via Unanimous Decision (November 5, 2005)
It was ultimately the powerful wrestling of Diego Sanchez that led to an underwhelming performance by Diaz at The Ultime Fighter 2 finale. Despite his best efforts, Diaz was unable to overcome the near-perfect grappling gameplan of Sanchez and fell victim to the TUF 1 winner's impeccable control and resilient takedown attack. This would be the start of a three-losing streak courtesy of Sanchez, Joe Riggs, and Sean Sherk.
6 Best: Nick Diaz defeats Frank Shamrock via TKO Round 2 (April 11, 2009)
It took a couple of years to finalize a bout between two of Strikeforce's biggest stars in Diaz and Shamrock. After much anticipation, the pair met on April 11, 2009, as the crowd anxiously waited for one of the most significant showdowns in MMA.
The first round mainly consisted of Diaz successfully controlling Shamrock from the top after landing a takedown and ending the round in full mount and reigning down punishing ground and pound. In the second round, he chose to utilize his length and continuously battered Shamrock with long and accurate combinations before landing a picture-perfect right hook to the body that sent the former UFC Middleweight Champion crashing towards the canvas. Diaz followed up with more vicious shots from the top position before the referee had seen enough and called the bout at 3:57 of the second round. This would mark the fourth victory of Diaz's nine-fight win streak as he continuously added to the lore of his ever-entertaining persona.
5 Worst: Anderson Silva defeats Nick Diaz via Unanimouis Decision (January 31, 2015)
After much deliberation on who would be chosen to face Anderson Silva in his return bout after suffering a brutal leg injury, the UFC decided to give Diaz the opportunity to welcome back one of MMA's most dominant champions. He did not particularly look good in this bout as Silva employed a safe yet effective gameplan to consistently land and outpoint the less polished striker in Diaz.
Perhaps the most bizarre moment of the bout came when Diaz quite literally laid flat on the canvas, signaling for Silva to attack him. Although the contest was eventually overturned to an NC, this was a forgettable performance at best for the Stockton native.
4 Best: Nick Diaz defeats Robbie Lawler via KO (April 2, 2004)
Not many UFC welterweights were actively looking to face Robbie Lawler during his first UFC run. The powerful brawler had compiled an 8-1 record and was widely known for boasting thunderous knockout power in both of his hands. This did not scare Diaz away who welcomed the challenge and chose to trade heavy blows with the stronger Lawler for the majority of the bout. The two stood center cage and participated in a wildly entertaining slugfest that saw both men have their moments in round one.
Diaz was oozing with confidence as he entered round two and forever changed his legacy when he landed the infamous right hook that stiffed Lawler on his feet and sent him falling to the canvas. From that day forward, Diaz captured the attention of combat sports fans and became a household name in mixed martial arts
3 Worst: Robbie Lawler defeats Nick Diaz via TKO (September 25, 2021)
Diaz chose to return to the UFC after a six-year layoff which came to fruition against formal rival Robbie Lawler. The pair had previously met at UFC 47 which resulted in Diaz knocking out Lawler in incredible fashion. Unfortunately, the comeback Diaz had hoped for did not come to fruition as he fell victim to Lawler's powerful punching this time around. It was clear that he was no longer the fighter he once was, being particularly slow and lackluster throughout the bout.
2 Best: Nick Diaz defeats Paul Daley via TKO (April 9, 2011)
Of all the memorable Nick Diaz victories throughout his incredible mixed martial arts career, his mesmerizing title defense showdown against Paul Daley was truly a top highlight of his career. The bout lasted less than a full round but resulted in one of the most action-packed MMA bouts in Strikeforce history. Diaz and Daley transferred their bad blood straight to the cage where they threw an onslaught of haymakers both intent on knocking the other out in extraordinary fashion.
After many exciting exchanges including a stunning left hook by Daley that sent the champ crashing towards the canvas, Diaz quickly recovered and put together a brutal combination that in turn stunned the challenger. He quickly followed Daley to the ground and threw several more powerful strikes from the top position before the referee was forced to signal the end of the bout. This performance personified Diaz's fighting spirit and continued to build his growing legacy in combat sports.
1 Worst: Georges St-Pierre defeats Nick Diaz via Unanimous Decision (March 16, 2013)
At UFC 158, many expected St-Pierre and Diaz to put on a high-level mixed martial arts match that showcased two of the very best welterweights in the world. Instead, fans were treated to an uneventful, lopsided decision victory that consisted of St-Pierre continuously wrestling Diaz to the ground and holding a favorable position.
The champion, St-Pierre, was riding a 10-fight win streak and had utterly dominated the majority of his opponents throughout his lengthy title reign. This bout garnered attention due to many believing Diaz's high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu could negate St-Pierre's powerful wrestling. Unfortunately, this was not the case as the challenger fell victim to the bulletproof gameplan of St-Pierre and suffered one of the biggest losses of his career.