Nate Diaz and 5 of the toughest UFC fighters

#4. Charles Oliveira

At UFC 280, Charles Oliveira will face Islam Makhachev for the vacant UFC lightweight championship that 'Do Bronx' lost due to a mishap at the weigh-ins of his UFC 274 matchup against Justin Gaethje.

Regardless of the circumstances, many fans still view Oliveira as the reigning king of the 155lbs weight class. The Brazilian is at the helm of an impressive 11-fight win streak and it has been a long journey that has seen him evolve into one of the toughest fighters on the roster.

Oliveira fights tall, using a myriad of techniques to overwhelm his opponents with sheer volume. Some of the most recognizable strikes he throws are front kicks that target the midsection.

Since his front kicks cause opponents to stand tall upon landing, they cause his foes to be much easier to secure double collar-ties against. Once he grasps the back of their necks, Oliveira yanks their heads down into vicious knees.

If he cannot easily do so, he instead drives his knees into his opponent's midsection. Alas, since 'Do Bronx' fights so tall, he's overexposed to strikes.

Additionally, his poor eyesight means that the Brazilian does not move his head off the center-line when throwing punches. As a result, Oliveira is extremely hittable. In fact, he even keeps his chin exposed as he does not tuck it either.

Due to his poor defensive striking, Oliveira has been rocked and knocked down multiple times in his last three fights against Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Michael Chandler.

Even when wobbled and badly hurt, Oliveira remained tenacious, searching for a double collar-tie to continue his relentless assault on the body. Even after nearly being finished by Chandler in the first round, Oliveira didn't shy away from striking with the former Bellator champion in the second round.

He bit down on his mouthpiece, marched forward and waded into an exchange that saw him land the perfect counter-left hook to capture UFC gold.

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#3. Dan Hooker

While he is no longer in the UFC's top 10 lightweight rankings, Dan Hooker has been a staple of the division for years. The New Zealander is a rangy and tenacious kickboxer who makes excellent use of his height and reach to establish a range that's longer than what his foes are used to operating from. Furthermore, he is not defensively irresponsible as he moves his head when punching.

Unfortunately, Hooker is a natural pressure fighter, which by its very nature exposes him to strikes more than a mere defensively-oriented counterpunching style would.

While his defense against blows to the head is serviceable, 'The Hangman' is not as skilled at protecting his midsection and legs. This was evident in his brutal loss to Edson Barboza.

Known as one of the most powerful kickers in UFC history, Barboza repeatedly slammed vicious kicks into Hooker's body. Those were the same kicks that the extremely tough Paul Felder claimed, left him urinating blood for weeks after his own fight with Barboza.

Hooker was hurt to the body several times, hunching over in pain as Barboza dealt him a savage beating over the course of 3 rounds.

The fight was so one-sided that former UFC double champion and current color commentator Daniel Cormier openly expressed his frustrations over why Dan Hooker's corner had not thrown in the towel. It was one of the most ferocious beatings ever witnessed inside the octagon and Hooker refused to yield until his body finally shut down.

Two years later, 'The Hangman' faced Dustin Poirier in a 5-round war that saw him absorb 208 strikes and 153 significant strikes. Despite being hurt at several points during the bout, Hooker never quit, staying in the fight en route to a decision loss that earned him and Poirier Fight of the Night honors.