Nate Diaz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nate Diaz |
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Nate Diaz in 2019
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| Born | Nathan Donald Diaz April 16, 1985 Stockton, California, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | |||||||||||||
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Division | Lightweight (2004–2010, 2011–2015) Welterweight (2010–2011, 2016–present) |
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| Reach | 76 in (193 cm) | |||||||||||||
| Stance | Southpaw | |||||||||||||
| Fighting out of | Stockton, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||
| Team | Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu | |||||||||||||
| Trainer | Richard Perez (Boxing) Cesar Gracie (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) |
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| Rank | 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie | |||||||||||||
| Years active | 2004–present | |||||||||||||
| Professional boxing record | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 34 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 21 | |||||||||||||
| By knockout | 5 | |||||||||||||
| By submission | 12 | |||||||||||||
| By decision | 4 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 13 | |||||||||||||
| By knockout | 2 | |||||||||||||
| By submission | 1 | |||||||||||||
| By decision | 10 | |||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||
| Children | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Notable relatives | Nick Diaz (brother) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Nathan Donald Diaz (born April 16, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist and professional boxer. He is famous for his long career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought for over 15 years.
Diaz first became well-known after winning the reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter 5. Before joining the UFC, he also fought in other organizations like World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Strikeforce. Diaz is known for his exciting fighting style and has won 16 bonus awards from the UFC for his performances. In 2012, he fought for the UFC Lightweight Championship.
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Early Life and Training
Nate Diaz was born in Stockton, California. His parents are Melissa and Robert Diaz, and he is of Mexican and Anglo heritage. He grew up with his older brother, Nick, who is also a famous fighter, and his sister, Nina.
When Nate was 11 years old, he started training in martial arts with his brother. This was the beginning of his journey to becoming a professional fighter.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Getting Started
Before he was a famous professional, Diaz competed in a bare-knuckle MMA fight when he was just 17. After turning pro, he fought for World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). In 2006, he had a chance to win the WEC Lightweight Championship but lost to the champion, Hermes França. Soon after, the UFC's parent company bought WEC.
Winning 'The Ultimate Fighter'
Diaz joined the cast of the TV show The Ultimate Fighter 5. This show features fighters living and training together while competing in a tournament. Diaz was on a team coached by fighter Jens Pulver.
He won all his fights on the show by making his opponents tap out, a move called a submission. In the final match, he faced Manvel Gamburyan. Diaz won in the second round when Gamburyan had to stop because of a shoulder injury. By winning the show, Diaz earned a contract with the UFC.
Rise in the UFC
After winning the show, Diaz continued to impress in the UFC. He won his next few fights with exciting submissions, including a famous win against Kurt Pellegrino. During that fight, he locked in a chokehold and had time to flex for the crowd before his opponent tapped out.
He had some tough losses against skilled wrestlers like Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson. These fights taught him a lot and helped him improve. He bounced back with a win over Melvin Guillard.
Fighting in Two Weight Classes
For a while, Diaz moved up to the Welterweight division (170 lbs). He said it was hard to cut weight to the Lightweight division (155 lbs). He had success in both divisions.
One of his most memorable welterweight fights was against Marcus Davis in 2010. Diaz won in the final round with a chokehold, and the exciting match earned both fighters a "Fight of the Night" bonus.
After a couple of losses at welterweight, including one to Rory MacDonald, Diaz decided to return to the lightweight division in 2011.
Return to Lightweight and Title Shot
Back at 155 lbs, Diaz looked better than ever. He defeated Japanese legend Takanori Gomi with an armbar submission. He then had an amazing performance against Donald Cerrone, where he landed a record number of strikes to win a clear decision.
In 2012, Diaz earned his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He then defeated Jim Miller with a guillotine choke, becoming the first person to ever stop Miller in a fight. This victory earned him a chance to fight for the UFC Lightweight Championship.
Diaz faced champion Benson Henderson for the title in December 2012. He fought hard but lost the match by unanimous decision.
Famous Rivalry with Conor McGregor
After a few years of ups and downs, Diaz got the biggest fight of his career in 2016. He stepped in on just 11 days' notice to fight superstar Conor McGregor at UFC 196. The fight was at welterweight because there was no time for Diaz to cut weight.
McGregor was the heavy favorite, but Diaz shocked the world. He survived an early storm from McGregor and then came back to win by submission in the second round. The victory made him a global star.
A rematch was held later that year at UFC 202. It was an epic five-round battle. This time, McGregor won by a very close majority decision. Both fights were awarded "Fight of the Night" honors.
Later UFC Fights
After a break, Diaz returned in 2019 to fight Anthony Pettis. He won a dominant decision. Later that year, he fought Jorge Masvidal for a special "BMF" (Baddest Motherf...) belt. The fight was stopped by the doctor because of a cut over Diaz's eye, and Masvidal was declared the winner.
In 2021, Diaz fought Leon Edwards in the UFC's first-ever five-round non-title co-main event. Though he lost the decision, he badly hurt Edwards in the final minute, creating a thrilling finish.
His final UFC fight was in 2022 against Tony Ferguson. Diaz won in the fourth round with a guillotine choke. After the fight, he became a free agent, meaning he was free to sign with other promotions.
Professional Boxing Career
After leaving the UFC, Diaz decided to try professional boxing.
In August 2023, he fought internet personality and boxer Jake Paul. The fight went the full 10 rounds, and Paul won by unanimous decision.
In July 2024, Diaz had a boxing rematch against his former UFC opponent, Jorge Masvidal. Diaz won the 10-round fight by majority decision.
Personal Life
Nate's older brother, Nick Diaz, is also a well-known MMA fighter. The two brothers are very close and often support each other. They run a Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in their hometown of Stockton, California.
Diaz has been mostly vegan since he was 18, though he sometimes eats fish. He and his girlfriend have a daughter, who was born in 2018.
Diaz is proud of his hometown and often gives back to the community. In 2022, the mayor of Stockton gave him a key to the city for the positive attention he brought to the area. He also started his own combat sports company called Real Fight Inc.
Championships and Accomplishments
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner
- Fight of the Night (Eight times)
- Knockout of the Night (One time)
- Performance of the Night (Two times)
- Submission of the Night (Five times)
- Third most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC history (16)
- Tied for the fourth most submission wins in UFC Lightweight division history (7)
- World MMA Awards
- 2016 Submission of the Year vs. Conor McGregor at UFC 196
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 2016 Feud of the Year vs. Conor McGregor
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 34 matches | 21 wins | 13 losses |
| By knockout | 5 | 2 |
| By submission | 12 | 1 |
| By decision | 4 | 10 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 21–13 | Tony Ferguson | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC 279 | September 10, 2022 | 4 | 2:52 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 20–13 | Leon Edwards | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 263 | June 12, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Glendale, Arizona, United States | |
| Loss | 20–12 | Jorge Masvidal | TKO (doctor stoppage) | UFC 244 | November 2, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | New York City, New York, United States | For the symbolic "BMF" title. |
| Win | 20–11 | Anthony Pettis | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 241 | August 17, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Anaheim, California, United States | |
| Loss | 19–11 | Conor McGregor | Decision (majority) | UFC 202 | August 20, 2016 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 19–10 | Conor McGregor | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 196 | March 5, 2016 | 2 | 4:12 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Return to Welterweight. Performance of the Night. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 18–10 | Michael Johnson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2 | December 19, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Orlando, Florida, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 17–10 | Rafael dos Anjos | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic | December 13, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Catchweight (160.5 lb) bout; Diaz missed weight. |
| Win | 17–9 | Gray Maynard | TKO (punches) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate Finale | November 30, 2013 | 1 | 2:38 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Knockout of the Night. |
| Loss | 16–9 | Josh Thomson | TKO (head kick and punches) | UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez | April 20, 2013 | 2 | 3:44 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Loss | 16–8 | Benson Henderson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz | December 8, 2012 | 5 | 5:00 | Seattle, Washington, United States | For the UFC Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 16–7 | Jim Miller | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller | May 5, 2012 | 2 | 4:09 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 15–7 | Donald Cerrone | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 141 | December 30, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 14–7 | Takanori Gomi | Submission (armbar) | UFC 135 | September 24, 2011 | 1 | 4:27 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Return to Lightweight. Submission of the Night. |
| Loss | 13–7 | Rory MacDonald | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 129 | April 30, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
| Loss | 13–6 | Dong Hyun Kim | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 125 | January 1, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 13–5 | Marcus Davis | Technical Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC 118 | August 28, 2010 | 3 | 4:02 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 12–5 | Rory Markham | TKO (punches) | UFC 111 | March 27, 2010 | 1 | 2:47 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Return to Welterweight; Markham missed weight (177 lb). |
| Loss | 11–5 | Gray Maynard | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz | January 11, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Fairfax, Virginia, United States | |
| Win | 11–4 | Melvin Guillard | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard | September 16, 2009 | 2 | 2:13 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | Submission of the Night. |
| Loss | 10–4 | Joe Stevenson | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom Finale | June 20, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 10–3 | Clay Guida | Decision (split) | UFC 94 | January 31, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 10–2 | Josh Neer | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer | September 17, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Omaha, Nebraska, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 9–2 | Kurt Pellegrino | Submission (triangle choke) | UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon | April 2, 2008 | 2 | 3:06 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 8–2 | Alvin Robinson | Submission (triangle choke) | UFC Fight Night: Swick vs. Burkman | January 23, 2008 | 1 | 3:39 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 7–2 | Junior Assunção | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs. Florian | September 19, 2007 | 1 | 4:10 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 6–2 | Manny Gamburyan | TKO (shoulder injury) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Pulver vs. Team Penn Finale | June 23, 2007 | 2 | 0:20 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won The Ultimate Fighter 5 Lightweight Tournament. |
| Loss | 5–2 | Hermes França | Submission (armbar) | WEC 24 | October 12, 2006 | 2 | 2:46 | Lemoore, California, United States | For the WEC Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–1 | Dennis Davis | Submission (keylock) | Warrior Cup 1 | August 12, 2006 | 1 | 2:00 | Stockton, California, United States | Won the inaugural WC Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 4–1 | Joe Hurley | Submission (triangle choke) | WEC 21 | June 15, 2006 | 2 | 2:03 | Highland, California, United States | Catchweight (160 lb) bout. |
| Win | 3–1 | Gilbert Rael | TKO (punches) | WEC 20 | May 5, 2006 | 1 | 3:35 | Lemoore, California, United States | |
| Win | 2–1 | Tony Juares | TKO (punches) | Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie | March 10, 2006 | 1 | 3:23 | San Jose, California, United States | Return to Lightweight. |
| Loss | 1–1 | Koji Oishi | Decision (unanimous) | Pancrase: 2005 Neo-Blood Tournament Finals | August 27, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | Welterweight debut. |
| Win | 1–0 | Alejandro Garcia | Submission (triangle choke) | WEC 12 | October 21, 2004 | 3 | 2:17 | Lemoore, California, United States | Lightweight debut. |
Professional boxing record
| 2 fights | 1 win | 1 loss |
| By decision | 1 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Win | 1–1 | Jorge Masvidal | MD | 10 | Jul 6, 2024 | Honda Center, Anaheim, California, U.S. | |
| 1 | Loss | 0–1 | Jake Paul | UD | 10 | Aug 5, 2023 | American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
Pay-per-view bouts
MMA
| No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | UFC 196 | McGregor vs. Diaz | March 5, 2016 | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 1,317,000 |
| 2. | UFC 202 | Diaz vs. McGregor 2 | August 20, 2016 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | 1,650,000 |
| 3. | UFC 244 | Masvidal vs Diaz | November 2, 2019 | Madison Square Garden | New York City, New York U.S. | Not Disclosed |
| 4. | UFC 279 | Diaz vs Ferguson | September 10, 2022 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada U.S. | Not Disclosed |
Boxing
| No. | Date | Fight | Billing | Buys | Network | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 5, 2023 | Paul vs. Diaz | Ready 4 War | 450,000 | DAZN / ESPN+ | $27,000,000 |
See also
In Spanish: Nate Diaz para niños
- List of male mixed martial artists
- List of multi-sport athletes
