Nate Diaz: The Return of the Anti-Hero

Nate Diaz: The Return of the Anti-Hero

I have to be honest, I’ve never always warmed to either of the Diaz brothers. As talented as they both undoubtedly are, something about them just didn’t do it for me. Respect yes, like a resounding no.

But gradually my opinions got changed.

Colby Covington entered the arena in Anaheim, California to chants of ‘You Suck’ and you just knew he wouldn’t have expected anything less, he practically demands it, craves it even.

Covington has the sort of persona that people either don’t get, or they just plain hate. But Covington knows how to play the game, you’ve got to make people care or despise, he knows exactly what he is doing.

Nate Diaz carries himself differently, but like Covington, the sport needs people like him. You don’t want a roster full of clones, anti-heroes and red hot heels bring much needed spice to the sport.

Diaz just doesn’t care, he says what he wants, does what he wants, but as with Covington, he can fight to a very high level.

I think it’s fair to say that Diaz hasn’t quite achieved what perhaps he could have done, but despite a modest looking 20-11 MMA record, Diaz is an exceptionally good mixed martial artist.

Anthony Pettis is the latest fighter to find out that Diaz can be a nightmare to share a cage with. Pettis didn’t quite break, but it was mighty close. He gamely survived the 3 rounds at UFC 241, one judge actually gave him a round, most of us saw it much more accurately.

You would have expected Diaz in his post-fight speech to make some reference to Conor McGregor and his altercation with a man in his fifties. Diaz instead called out somebody cut from same cloth.

Jorge Masvidal and Diaz are both old-school, and while Leon Edwards might not agree, a fight between the pair is a natural.

Diaz seems to have been around forever, but is still only 34, and still seems to have plenty left. A title run looks possible, but only if Diaz can be bothered, such things of immaterial value probably don’t concern him.

But if Diaz does indeed fight Masvidal and win, and if Covington gets himself the real belt around his waist, Covington against Diaz would be something very special indeed, a needle-mover type of fight in every way imaginable.

Diaz has been away for 3 years, the sport has missed him, hell, even I’ve missed him.