A young Nate Diaz competes in bare knuckle MMA and wins by submission
Nate Diaz and Khamzat Chimaev will lock horns in the main event if UFC 279. The internet has been running amok since the announcement. While fans are praising the bravado, and courage of Nate Diaz to face a young, hungry lion, others are worried that the Stockton slugger might not stand a chance against the undefeated Chechen. This will be the last fight of Nate Diaz’s UFC contract, and a potential move to boxing seems like an inevitable outcome.
Nate Diaz is a veteran in the sport of MMA. Winner of the Ultimate Fighter season 5, Diaz has began training at the age of 11 with his older brother Nick Diaz. A third degree black belt in jiu-jitsu, Diaz has fought the biggest names in the sport of MMA.
Before making his pro-debut, Diaz competed in a bare knuckle MMA fight against Robert Limon on July 20th, 2002, at the age of 17. The video shows a young Diaz fighting a bigger opponent, and using his grappling to defeat him.
The video begins with Diaz and Limon exchanging blows with each other trying to close distance. Diaz shoots for a takedown and Limon wraps his head around for a guillotine choke. He ends up on his back trying to choke the Stockton native while Diaz tries to defend himself. He eventually gets out of the squeeze, and transitions into an armbar attempt. The fight ends with a seventeen year old Diaz walking away with the victory.
When did Nate Diaz make his UFC debut?
Nate Diaz began as a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 5, which featured lightweights, and he fought on Jens Pulver’s team. In the preliminary round, Diaz defeated Rob Emerson by submission; in the quarterfinals, he defeated fellow Team Pulver teammate Corey Hill via triangle choke submission in the first round. In the semifinals, Diaz defeated Team Penn member Gray Maynard by submission, advancing to the finals, in which he faced teammate Manvel Gamburyan. Diaz won by submission after Gamburyan was forced to tap out in the second round due to the dislocation of his right shoulder as the result of attempting a takedown. With the victory, Diaz won The Ultimate Fighter 5.
He fought Melvin Guillard after that and won the fight by submission. His biggest victory came against rival Conor McGregor at UFC 196, when he beat the Irishman on 10 days notice. Currently he’s scheduled to fight Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279 where he’s a massive betting underdog.
Here are the opening odds for Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev:
Nate Diaz +775 (31/4)
Khamzat Chimaev -1100 (1/11)
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