5 forgotten reasons why Nick Diaz is an MMA superstar

#2. The Nashville brawl

Nick Diaz strikes Jason Miller \ Image via Twitter @MMAHistoryToday

In 2010, Nick Diaz became part of one of the craziest brawls in MMA history. Moments after Jake Shields successfully defended his Strikeforce middleweight belt against Dan Henderson, he was interrupted by old foe Jason 'Mayhem' Miller. Miller, who had lost to Shields five months earlier, asked the champion:

"What's up? Where's my rematch buddy?"

Amazingly, the Strikeforce: Nashville brawl happened 10 years ago today(!).One of the most infamous MMA moments of all time, and it all happened on CBS. It also produced one of the more memorable quotes in the sport’s history:“Sometimes these things happen in MMA.” pic.twitter.com/0FNhqv2ptz

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 17, 2020

As the two fighters started to get physical, Shields' teammates Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz and Gilbert Mendez jumped 'Mayhem'. While the Strikeforce champion was pulled away by his coach, Nick Diaz and co. continued to land strikes on Jason Miller.

Jason Miller and Nick Diaz were eventually restrained by officials, referees and Henderson's team. While the violence was widely condemned by the MMA community, Nick Diaz once again proved why he is one of the baddest men in the sport with an abundance of loyalty and fearlessness.

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#1. Nick Diaz's elite-level cardio

Nick Diaz running | Image via Twitter @nickdiaz

Nick Diaz will always be known for his high-volume striking and unrelenting pace he had showcased inside the octagon. Even when he found himself against the fence, the Stockton-native was able to outwork his opponents by sustaining an incredible pace.

Thanks to years of triathlons, Nick Diaz has always had an elite level of conditioning. That, according to him, gives him a mental edge over his opponents. Regarding his conditioning and how it makes him stand out from other fighters, Diaz said:

"Fighters are afraid of conditioning, they are afraid of getting tired, but I don't want to have anxiety or be afraid of anything. I can go 100 percent out there and never have to worry about getting tired. Everybody says fighting is 90 percent mental, and it's true. Knowing you can go 15 minutes or 25 minutes without any problem can help you sustain that mental advantage over your opponent."

Triathlon Season 🏃🏽 pic.twitter.com/d4XEFL1bBo

— nick diaz (@nickdiaz209) July 1, 2021

Another thing that differentiates Nick Diaz from other MMA fighters is the fact that he stays in shape year-round. This way, he never needed to rely solely on training camps to prepare for fights. Speaking of how triathlons helped him stay on top of his game, Nick Diaz elaborated in this regard:

"I just like to race. It gives me something to build for. During the triathlon season, I'll probably race every two weeks. I get stronger and stronger when building up to the race. After a race, a lot of people will crash and take their foot off the gas, but I'll keep building and building until I have to fight."

"I have a reason not to crash, and I try to keep the ball rolling until fight night. Doing the races keeps me in shape. By the time a fight comes around, I'm already in shape and ready to go. I don't have to get in shape for fights. When I am in the gym, I train mixed martial arts. I don't need to train to get in shape. I am already in shape."

Diaz once said that if there was big money in triathlons, he would have quit MMA, which he has been doing since he was 18