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The Diaz Brothers are the most popular and recognizable sibling duo in UFC history. Nick and Nate Diaz established themselves as legends of the sport and provided fans with many memorable moments inside and outside the Octagon. Both brothers started their combat sports career primarily as submission grapplers but continue to evolve their MMA game as they grew older and gained more experience.
Although the brothers have many similarities, they also possess unique skills that make each of them exciting and talented fighters. Both Nick and Nate have competed in the most well-known MMA promotions in the world and will forever be remembered in the hearts of fans.
10 Nick Is A Faster Starter Than Nate
If there is one thing we have learned from Nate in the last few years, it is that he is a much slower starter than his brother. Typically, Nick meets his opponent in the center of the Octagon and quickly tries to establish his jab and fire off precise combinations.
On the other hand, Nate tends to let his opponent establish their offense and use the first couple of rounds to decipher his opponent's game plan while playing catch-up in the back half of the fight.
9 Nate Is A Better Pressure Fighter
When it comes to overwhelming their opponent with pure pressure, Nate holds the advantage over Nick. When Nick smells blood, he methodically picks apart his opponent using powerful head-body combinations and letting the finish come organically.
Nate prefers to get right in the face of his opponent and fire off wild with looping punches as his opponent struggles to stay upright.
8 Nick Takes A Better Punch
There have been several instances where Nate has been dropped by his opponent and struggled to get back to his feet effectively.
Nick has never been knocked out cold and has generally been able to absorb the most powerful punches from his opponents and continue to move forward. Nick's Strikeforce showdown with Paul Daley back in 2011 was evidence of this as the Stockton brawler absorbed thunderous bombs from Pauley and never moved backward.
7 Nate Slaps Better Than Nick
This one may seem like a joke, but it is true. The Diaz Brothers are known for slapping their opponents silly during the middle of a fight as a means to get into their opponent's head.
Nate's slaps have hurt his opponents and been a part of his striking arsenal for many years.
6 Nick Is A More Accurate Striker
Both Diaz brothers have been able to utilize their long reach and length to land on their opponents from range. However, Nick is the more accurate striker and utilizes a less chaotic approach when throwing punches and kicks.
5 Nate Is A Better MMA Grappler
Both brothers are equally dangerous when it comes to deploying their prolific grappling skills. However, it is Nate who has been able to more effectively transition his grappling into mixed martial arts and submit several opponents.
Nate has submitted many opponents and caught them in unique submissions including guillotine chokes and triangle chokes. His adaptive and reactive grappling is some of the best in MMA history.
4 Nick Is A Better Counter Puncher
Overall, Nick's boxing is significantly more polished than his younger brothers. The older Diaz brother is well-known for his ability to land a powerful counter punch. It was a well-timed counter punch that sent Robbie Lawler crashing to the canvas the first time the pair met.
Nick's ability to swiftly get out of range while landing a looping counter hook is one of his best weapons in the cage.
3 Nate Is A Better Trash Talker
This one should come as no surprise after seeing Nate Diaz's epic feuds with Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and many other fighters. Diaz is very vocal during the build-up to a fight and has a unique talent for getting into the head of his opponents long before throwing the first punch.
On the other hand, Nick is much quieter and tends to be somewhat uncomfortable when talking on the mic.
2 Nick Rips To The Body
Nick Diaz's ability to blast his opponents with powerful body combinations is second to none. This has always been a big part of his striking arsenal and allows for him to gradually break down the defense of his opponents.
He has shown off his impressive body punching skills on more than one occasion including his victories over Evangelista Santos and Frank Shamrock. While Nate is more than capable of landing a body shot of his own, Nick holds the advantage here.
1 Nate Is A Better Promoter
Besides his talent, Nate Diaz's ability to promote a fight is world-class. When Nate Diaz fights, expect most if not all MMA fans to tune in. Before his rivalry with Conor McGregor, Diaz was a prominent fighter in the UFC but lacked a high-profile win to further his career. His opportunity came at UFC 196 when he shocked the world by submitting McGregor in round two on two weeks' notice.
Ever since then, he is undoubtedly considered one of the biggest stars in the UFC and continues to be an entertaining personality through media outlets and rivalries with others fighters.