Nate Diaz was born in 1985 to a blue collar family in Stockton, California. At the young age of 14, he entered into martial arts training with his brother, Nick Diaz. Nate Diaz has a merit underneath his belt that few can claim – he is one of the UFC’s original poster boys. Before entering into the UFC, Nate Diaz fought under the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion (WEC.) He would go on to take part in WEC’s last event before it would be acquired and merged with the UFC, where he competed against the Lightweight Championship holder, Hermes Franca. Unfortunately, Diaz lost the fight, and the title was made adjunct with the merger into the UFC.
Nate Diaz would go on to become a contestant for The Ultimate Fighter’s 5th season, which was a reality show based around UFC teams. The teams would be led by a noteworthy or famous UFC fighter, and every week, a member from each team would compete against each other. The best performers would go on to fight in an actual UFC card, and possibly be offered a chance to sign a contract and join the UFC. Nate Diaz was the one such lucky fighter, winning the 5th season of The Ultimate Fighter. He would have his first official fight on September 17, 2008, when he would claim the title of victor.
After the Ultimate Fighter, Nate Diaz felt that he was too elite for his class and demanded better fighters. Long-time UFC president Dana White answered his call with a fight against Clay Guida at UFC 94, which ended in a judge’s decision that Clay Guida won. This fight took place on January 31, 2009, less than 14 months after Diaz officially signed up with the UFC. Even though Diaz lost, he would claim the Fight of the Night title, which includes an additional (and generous) purse for both fighters.
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Nate Diaz’s Rise to Fame
Clay Guida seemed to mark a spiral for Nate Diaz. Several of his fights resulted in losses for him, so Nate Diaz made the post-fight announcement that he would step up from the 155-pound weight class up to the 170 weight class, although he would still drop down to 155 pounds every once in awhile (one of the fights with Conor McGregor, for which Nate Diaz truly became famous, was at the 155 weight class.) Nate Diaz would make his first-ever Welterweight class (170+) debut at UFC 111. Although his opponent came in 6 pounds heavier and the fight was changed to be a catchweight fight (meaning no weight class restrictions, and his opponent Rory Markham was fined for missing weight which would go back to Diaz), Diaz would go on to win.
Nate Diaz would pick up numerous wins over notable opponents, including Rory MacDonald, Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, and unstoppable Jim Miller. During this period, Nate Diaz would have no title fights, although he became an incredibly remarkable fighter due to his boxing game and the amount of punishment he could take. Nate Diaz made quite the media splash when he confirmed that he was vaporizing CBD (cannabidiol) oil at a post-fight conference, which he insisted helped with swelling. This launched a probe, especially for the Diaz brothers who have been advocates for cannabis use, both medicinal and recreational. Nate was suspended for 9-12 months, and Nick Diaz tested positive for irregular THC levels and was suspended for 2 years. Both brothers have served their suspensions and have returned to fighting.
Nate Diaz’s most recent fights have both been against Conor McGregor. The saga of McGregor vs Nate Diaz has yet to be finished, as both men have one victory over each other in the saga. Their first fight was March 5, 2016, where Diaz entered in as a replacement for Rafael dos Anjos. The fight that ensued would forever change UFC history and cement both men as rising stars of the company. In a completely unprecedented move, Diaz won the fight over Conor McGregor in the second round with a rear-naked choke. Both men would receive the Fight of the Night bonus, with Nate receiving Performance of the Night bonus.
Their second fight would be on August 20, 2016 at UFC 202. This fight was even bigger, and was one of the largest event gates to happen to date (succeeded only by the famous Money Fight, with Mayweather vs McGregor). Conor McGregor was pulled from the fight due to missing some media obligations, although this would be quickly overturned by the insistence of UFC President Dana White. The fight would take place on August 20, 2016, although Conor McGregor would emerge the victor. Again, both men received the Fight of the Night award, and Conor received Performance of the Night. This fight went the full length, 5 5-minute rounds (usually reserved for title matches or special events). Even Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter voted that the “2016 Feud of the Year” category be given to Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz for the media and buzz created for the event.
Currently, Nate Diaz is not on any coming fights with the UFC, but it is all-but-confirmed that a 3rd fight (the rubber match) between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz will happen eventually.
Nate Diaz’s Snapchat Username – natediaz209
Nate Diaz’s Snapchat username is “natediaz209,” where he can be found frequently posting pictures of his fighting camp based out of Lodi, California. His brother, Nick Diaz, frequently makes appearances in videos posted to the Snapchat Story of Nate’s account.
Nate Diaz’s Other Social Media Accounts
Twitter – Nate Diaz’s Twitter can be found at https://twitter.com/NateDiaz209 where he frequently interacts with fans.
Instagram – Nate Diaz’s Instagram can be found at https://www.instagram.com/natediaz209
Facebook – Nate Diaz’s Facebook can be found at https://www.facebook.com/nathandiaz209/ and is more focused towards him, as an individual athlete, rather than his fighting camp.
Nate never beat Rory
Yes, he did, he won against Rory Markham but lost against Rory MacDonald.