5 best Nate Diaz moments in the UFC

#4. Rocking Leon Edwards at UFC 263

While Nate Diaz's welterweight run has been largely fruitless in terms of wins, it has led to a series of memorable moments ranging from his part in creating the BMF championship to his thrilling but ultimately unsuccessful fifth-round rally against Leon Edwards, who became the UFC welterweight champion in his next bout. This matchup was Diaz's first in nearly 2 years.

Much of the bout transpired as the MMA media predicted. Edwards was fairly dominant as he outstruck the Stockton legend. Furthermore, 'Rocky' even managed to trip Diaz several times throughout the fight. In the final minute of the fifth round, however, Nate Diaz nearly shocked the world by rocking his foe with a brilliant southpaw right jab plus a straight left combination, which snapped Edwards' head sideways.

A bloodied and cut up Diaz pointed at a wobbled Edwards in open mockery to immortalize the moment. While Nate Diaz was ultimately unable to finish his opponent, the only thing that fight fans across the globe could remember after nearly five rounds of dominance from Leon Edwards was Nate Diaz almost knocking him out unconscious.

---

#3. Winning The Ultimate Fighter 5

It's unclear when or if Nate Diaz would have even signed with the UFC had he not been a participant in the season 5 of The Ultimate Fighter reality television series. Fighters who take part in TUF compete for what the UFC describes as a six-figure contract. In more exact terms, the contract is a three-year agreement during which a fighter can potentially earn as much as $300,000 if they manage an unbeaten 9-fight run or as low as $150,000 if they lose all nine bouts.

Diaz was unaware of the stipulation, expressing his exasperation over it afterwards. Thus, had Nate Diaz not stormed through the tournament's participants to claim victory, he might have reconsidered signing with the UFC as he was under the initial impression that he had won a contract that would earn him a six-figure payday. Without the years Nate Diaz has committed to the UFC, the promotion would have been robbed of various historic milestones.

Without Nate Diaz, the UFC would not have had his storied rivalry with Conor McGregor or the creation of the BMF belt. None of the things Diaz is remembered for would have been possible had he not signed with the promotion, and he might not have signed with the UFC had he known about the stipulation in the TUF contract. As a result, Diaz's TUF 15 win is one of his greatest-ever moments due to its part in opening the door for his other great moments in the UFC.