Nick Diaz's 5 most memorable moments in the UFC

#4. Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler – UFC 47

Nick Diaz's first fight with Robbie Lawler made him into a UFC sensation

Nick Diaz’s UFC debut took place at UFC 44 in September 2003. After submitting Jeremy Jackson with an armbar, he quickly gained a reputation as one of the promotion’s best young fighters.

However, when he was matched with fellow prospect Robbie Lawler at UFC 47, few predicted him to have much success. Nick Diaz was renowned for his grappling, but Lawler was already a proven knockout artist with a strong takedown defense to boot.

It sounded like a bad match for Nick Diaz on paper, but that idea couldn’t have been further from the truth. Far from being outgunned on the feet, Diaz took the fight to the feared striker with his crisp boxing, forcing Lawler to retreat and tagging him with sharp strikes from the off.

Early on, it still looked like a dangerous game. Lawler merely appeared to be angered by Diaz’s punches rather than hurt. But Diaz’s volume quickly began to take its toll.

And in the second round, Diaz began to show off another facet that would define his UFC career, his love for taunting an opponent. He managed to goad Lawler into swinging even more wildly. He then took his opportunity and knocked ‘Ruthless’ down face-first with a right hand.

Lawler attempted to get to his feet, but his legs were gone, forcing a referee stoppage and handing Diaz his first UFC win via KO. And from that moment on, no welterweight would underestimate Nick Diaz again.

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#3. Nick Diaz vs. Anderson Silva – UFC 183

Nick Diaz continually taunted Anderson Silva in their fight at UFC 183

Nick Diaz is due to return to the UFC this weekend at UFC 266, ending a largely self-imposed hiatus of almost seven years. The last time UFC fans saw him in action, they were treated to one of the most memorable, and bizarre, fights in the promotion's history.

After spending two years on the shelf following his loss to Georges St-Pierre, the UFC announced that Diaz would return to take on former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 183. Given that Silva was also returning from a lengthy stint on the shelf due to a serious leg injury, the hype for the clash was off the charts.

Surprisingly enough, Nick Diaz didn’t talk all that much trash coming into the fight, apparently respecting Silva and his accomplishments for once.

However, when the two men entered the octagon, it was clear that Diaz had seemingly saved all of his venom for the clash itself. He began to taunt ‘The Spider’ from the off, strutting around with his hands down, daring Silva to hit him. He even laid down at one point.

The bizarre behavior continued throughout the fight. Nick Diaz seemed more focused on simply taunting and goading Silva than on actually beating him. In the end, the fight didn’t end the way that Diaz would’ve hoped. He came out on the wrong end of a unanimous decision.

However, despite the loss, it was the Stockton native that everyone was talking about the day after the event. And when the pay-per-view drew around 650k buys, earning Diaz millions of dollars, it was clear who really had the last laugh.