Nathan Donald Diaz (born April 16, 1985) is an American
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
and
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...
who is currently a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
. Diaz is most known for his time spent fighting in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
(UFC), where he fought for over 15 years after winning ''
The Ultimate Fighter 5''. Prior to signing with the UFC, Diaz competed in
World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was mad ...
,
Strikeforce
Strike Force may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
*Strike Force (video game), ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game
*''Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game
*''Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game
*' ...
, and
Pancrase
is a Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Tokyo. It was founded in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki.
The name was based on pankration, a fighting sport in the An ...
. Diaz has the third most UFC bonus awards, with 16 in total. In 2012 he challenged for the
UFC Lightweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...
.
Background
The son of Melissa (née Womble) and Robert Diaz, he was born of
Mexican and
Anglo
Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term ''Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of British d ...
heritage and raised in
Stockton, California
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...
, with his brother
Nick
Nick may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Nick (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Désirée Nick, German actress and writer
Places
* Nick, Hungary, a village
* Nick, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, a ...
and sister Nina. He grew up in
Lodi, California
Lodi ( ) is a city in San Joaquin County, California, United States, in the center portion of California's Central Valley (California), Central Valley. The population was 66,348 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
History
When a gro ...
and attended
Tokay High School. At the age of 11, he began training in
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
with his brother, Nick.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Prior to his official MMA career, Diaz competed in a bare knuckle MMA fight against Robert Limon on July 20, 2002, at the age of 17. Footage has since emerged of the fight and it is believed to be his first competitive experience.
Upon making his official professional MMA debut, Diaz competed mainly for
World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was mad ...
(WEC). In 2006, at
WEC 24, he fought for the
WEC Lightweight Championship against then-champion
Hermes França, losing by submission in the second round. This was the last event held by WEC before it was acquired by
Zuffa, LLC, then parent company of the UFC.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
''The Ultimate Fighter 5''
Diaz was a contestant on ''
The Ultimate Fighter 5'', which exclusively featured
lightweights, fighting 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
A triangle choke, or sankaku-jime (三角絞) in judo, is a type of figure-four chokehold that encircles the opponent's neck and one arm with the legs in a configuration similar to the shape of a triangle. Applying pressure using both legs and ...
submission in the first round. In the semifinals, Diaz defeated Team Penn member
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight and Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with forme ...
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''. This fight also earned him a $50,000 ''
Knockout of the Night'' award.
2008
Diaz faced
Alvin Robinson
Alvin Leavon Robinson (born July 16, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently fighting as a lightweight for the Bellator Fighting Championships. He is a former Ring of Fire lightweight champion. He holds a professional re ...
at
UFC Fight Night 12
''UFC Fight Night: Swick vs. Burkman'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 12'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 23, 2008, at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
...
on January 23, 2008. This fight earned him a $40,000 ''
Submission of the Night'' award.
After defeating
Alvin Robinson
Alvin Leavon Robinson (born July 16, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently fighting as a lightweight for the Bellator Fighting Championships. He is a former Ring of Fire lightweight champion. He holds a professional re ...
and
Junior Assunção via submission, Diaz demanded tougher opponents. He was given a match with
Kurt Pellegrino
Kurt Joseph Pellegrino (born May 7, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the lightweight division for Bellator Fighting Championships and Ultimate Fighting Championship. He’s a former WEC champion.
Early life
Pell ...
at ''
UFC Fight Night 13
''UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 13'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on April 2, 2008, at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado, United ...
''. Diaz defeated Pellegrino via triangle-choke submission in the second round. As he locked up the choke, Diaz had time to flex for the crowd and throw up double middle fingers before Pellegrino submitted. This fight earned him a $20,000 ''
Fight of the Night'' award.
Diaz then defeated veteran
Josh Neer
Joshua Martin Neer (born March 24, 1983) is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2003, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the IFL, and Shark Fights. N ...
by split decision in the main event of ''
UFC Fight Night 15''. This fight earned him a $30,000 ''
Fight of the Night'' award.
2009

Diaz next fought former
Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Clay Guida
Clayton Charles Guida (; born December 8, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the UFC in the Lightweight division. A professional since 2003, Guida also formerly competed for Strikeforce, the WEC, King of the ...
at ''
UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn 2'', losing via split decision. Guida used his
wrestling
Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
to take Diaz down multiple times. Guida won via split decision, marking Diaz's first loss in the UFC, in what was also his
pay per view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
debut. This fight earned him a $65,000 ''
Fight of the Night'' award.
Diaz met fellow
Ultimate Fighter winner and former
King of the Cage Welterweight Champion Joe Stevenson
Joseph Christopher Stevenson (born June 15, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist fighting out of Hesperia, California. Coached by (UFC Hall of Famer) Matt Hughes, Stevenson rose to prominence by becoming The Ultimate Fighter 2 Welt ...
at ''
The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale''. Stevenson took Diaz down at will throughout the 3 rounds and Diaz lost by unanimous decision. This fight earned him a $25,000 ''
Fight of the Night'' award.
After two consecutive losses by decision, Diaz headlined ''
UFC Fight Night 19'' opposite
Melvin Guillard
Melvin Guillard (born March 30, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division.
Guillard most notably competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA and World S ...
. Diaz won by submission to a
guillotine choke
The guillotine choke, also known as Mae Hadaka Jime (前裸絞, "front naked choke"; compared to a rear naked choke) in judo, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from in front of the opponent, often on the ground but can also be done while stan ...
at 2:30 of round 2. This fight earned him a $30,000 ''
Fight of the Night'' award.
2010
Diaz faced
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight and Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with forme ...
on January 11, 2010, in the main event at ''
UFC Fight Night 20
''UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 20'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 11, 2010, at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia.
Background
Headlining ...
'', a rematch from when the two met in the semi-finals of the ''
TUF 5''
lightweight
Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing.
Boxing Professional boxing
The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...
tournament, which Diaz won. Diaz lost a controversial split decision to Maynard, as the former TUF winner was given the nod in the FightMetric reports, winning rounds two and three.
After three losses in four fights, Nate considered making a permanent move up in weight to the 170 lb. weight class, stating "I don't make enough money to have to drop this much weight so I'd like to fight at 170 and only go to 155 every once in a while."
Diaz made his
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
debut on March 27, 2010, at
UFC 111
''UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on March 27, 2010, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, United States.
Background
The '' UFC Primetime'' series returned ...
against
Miletich Fighting Systems
Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) was a mixed martial arts (MMA) training organization. It was recognized as an excellent training camp. It has been the training camp for fighters such as Matt Hughes, Tim Sylvia, Jens Pulver, Robbie Lawler, an ...
product and striking specialist
Rory Markham
Rory Markham (born March 25, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist and actor who most recently acted alongside Will Smith playing Booker Grassie in the latest addition to the '' Bad Boys'' franchise ''Bad Boys for Life''. Formerly ...
. At the weigh-ins, Markham weighed in at 177, whereas Diaz weighed in at the
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
limit of 171; the fight was changed to a
catchweight
A catchweight is a term used in combat sports, such as boxing or mixed martial arts, to describe a weight limit that does not adhere to the traditional limits for weight classes. In boxing, a catchweight is negotiated prior to weigh-ins, which are ...
fight. Diaz went on to win the fight by TKO in the first round.
After the win over Markham, Diaz stated he would compete in both weight classes. His next fight was again at Welterweight against former professional boxer
Marcus Davis
Marcus Paul Davis (born August 24, 1973), is an American professional mixed martial artist and former professional boxer who is perhaps best known for competing in the UFC. A professional MMA competitor from 2003 until 2014, Davis also compete ...
on August 28, 2010, at
UFC 118
''UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 28, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The third UFC Fan Expo coincided with the event. This event was t ...
. Diaz finished Davis after choking him unconscious with a
guillotine choke
The guillotine choke, also known as Mae Hadaka Jime (前裸絞, "front naked choke"; compared to a rear naked choke) in judo, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from in front of the opponent, often on the ground but can also be done while stan ...
submission in the final round; the bout earned them $60,000 ''Fight of the Night'' honors.
2011

Diaz next faced South Korean fighter
Dong Hyun Kim
Kim Dong-hyun (; born November 17, 1981), anglicized as Dong Hyun Kim, is a South Korean retired mixed martial artist who most notably fought in the UFC's welterweight division. He was signed by the UFC after fighting in the Japanese promotion ...
, on January 1, 2011, at
UFC 125
''UFC 125: Resolution'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The planned rematch between UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson ...
. Diaz lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Diaz fought
Rory MacDonald on April 30, 2011, at
UFC 129
''UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Background
The event was the sixth that the UFC has hosted in ...
. Diaz was unable to mount much significant offense and lost via unanimous decision. Following the loss, Diaz stated that he would be moving back down to the lightweight division.
Diaz defeated former
PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist who gained international fame in Pride Fighting Championships. Later in his career, Gomi also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is the only Pride FC Lightweight Champion in the ...
on September 24, 2011, at
UFC 135
''UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 24, 2011, at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.
Background
The Ultimate Fighting Championship had its first ever event in De ...
via
armbar
An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armpit lock is very useful; it will immobilize an opponent and pin them on the ground. An armlock t ...
submission in the first round. He earned a $75,000 ''
Submission of the Night'' award for his performance.
Diaz defeated
Donald Cerrone
Donald Anthony Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American former professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and actor. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions of the Ultima ...
at
UFC 141
''UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Friday December 30, 2011, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The UFC returned to a 10 p.m. ET st ...
via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 29–28) in a performance that earned both participants $75,000 ''Fight of the Night'' honors.
Despite being knocked off of his feet multiple times by sweeping leg kicks from Cerrone, Diaz had one of the best performances of his career. Diaz set a CompuStrike record, landing 82% of the strikes he threw en route to his victory over Cerrone.
2012
Diaz, after several years of training, finally received his
Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Cesar Gracie. He was awarded his black belt a month before his fight with fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
Jim Miller.
Diaz next faced
Jim Miller on May 5, 2012, at
UFC on Fox 3
''UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 3'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 5, 2012 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Background
Dennis Hallman was expected ...
. Diaz outboxed Miller for the majority of the first two rounds, even dropping Miller with a straight left at the end of the first round. Near the end of round two, Miller shot in for a takedown, to which Diaz stuffed and countered with a rolling
guillotine choke
The guillotine choke, also known as Mae Hadaka Jime (前裸絞, "front naked choke"; compared to a rear naked choke) in judo, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from in front of the opponent, often on the ground but can also be done while stan ...
, forcing the tap at 4:09 of the second round. The submission won Diaz his fifth ''
Submission of the Night'' bonus award valued at $65,000.
It was also the first time Miller had been stopped in his MMA career.
Diaz faced
Benson Henderson
Benson Henderson (born November 16, 1983) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the Lightweight division for Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and WEC Lightweight Champion. H ...
on December 8, 2012, at
UFC on Fox 5
''UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 5'') was a mixed martial arts event that was held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 8, 2012, at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. It was broadcast live on Fox Sports.
...
in the main event for the
UFC Lightweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...
. Diaz lost the one-sided bout via unanimous decision. Three weeks prior to the championship bout, Diaz signed an eight-fight contract with UFC.
2013
Diaz faced former
Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson
Joshua Joseph Thomson (born September 21, 1978) is an American mixed martial arts podcaster, commentator, analyst and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2001, Thomson has competed in Bellator MMA, PRIDE, Strikeforce, U ...
on April 20, 2013, at
UFC on Fox 7
The year 2013 was the 21st year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. 2013 started with ''UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping''. 2013 also saw the introduction of the wom ...
. He lost the fight via TKO due to a head kick and punches, during which Nate's brother, Nick Diaz physically threw a towel into the octagon, in an attempt to signal the referee to end the bout. On May 16, 2013, Diaz was suspended by the UFC for violating the UFC's code of conduct by using a homophobic slur on his
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
page. The UFC expressed their disappointment and suspended him; he was eventually suspended for 90 days and fined $20,000.
A rubber match with
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight and Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with forme ...
took place on November 30, 2013, in the main event at
The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale
''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate'' (also known as ''The Ultimate Fighter 18'') is the eighteenth U.S.-based installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''.
Th ...
. Diaz won via TKO in the first round. The stoppage earned him his first ''Knockout of the Night'' bonus.
2014
On May 5, 2014, both Nate Diaz and fellow UFC fighter
T. J. Grant
TJ Grant (born February 26, 1984) is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Background
Grant began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 15 and then also ...
were removed from the UFC's lightweight rankings after being deemed inactive by the UFC.
After over a year away from the sport, Diaz returned from his self-imposed hiatus and faced
Rafael Dos Anjos
Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born 26 October 1984), also known by his initials RDA, is a Brazilian and American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Champion ...
on December 13, 2014, at
UFC on Fox 13
''UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 13'') was a mixed martial arts event held at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 13, 2014.
Background
The event was the first that the organization has hosted in ...
. Diaz missed weight, coming in at 160.6 pounds. He was given additional time to make the lightweight limit, and cut down to 155.2. However, he was still fined 20 percent of his purse, which went to Rafael dos Anjos. Diaz, who seemed unmotivated and annoyed for most of the fight, lost the one-sided fight via unanimous decision (30–26, 30–26, and 30–27).
2015
Diaz was briefly linked to a welterweight bout with
Matt Brown on July 11, 2015, at
UFC 189
''UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor'' was a mixed martial arts event held on July 11, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The event took place during the UFC's annual International Fight Week.
The event was expected t ...
. However, in mid-April, Brown announced that the pairing had been scrapped.
After sitting out again for over a year, Diaz returned to face
Michael Johnson on December 19, 2015, at
UFC on Fox 17
''UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 17'') was a mixed martial arts event held on December 19, 2015, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
Background
The event was headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship bout ...
. He won the fight via unanimous decision and went on to give one of the most infamous post-fight interviews in UFC history, where he called out
Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...
by saying "you're taking everything I work for, motherfucker, and I'ma fight your fucking ass" on live broadcast television. Both participants were awarded $50,000 ''Fight of the Night'' honors.
2016
Diaz was set as a replacement to face
Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...
on March 5, 2016, at
UFC 196, filling in for an injured
Rafael dos Anjos
Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born 26 October 1984), also known by his initials RDA, is a Brazilian and American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Champion ...
. With Diaz only having eleven days notice, the fight took place at welterweight (170 lbs) due to lack of time to cut weight. Diaz won the fight via submission in the second round. This gave Diaz his ninth submission victory in the UFC, tied for the second-most all-time behind only
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer ...
. Both fighters were awarded ''Fight of the Night'' honors and Diaz was also awarded with the ''Performance of the Night'' bonus which totalled $100,000 overall.
A rematch with McGregor was scheduled for July 9, 2016, at
UFC 200. However, on April 19, the UFC announced that McGregor had been pulled from the event after failing to fulfill media obligations in Las Vegas related to the fight. In turn, the fight with McGregor was rescheduled and took place the following month, contested again at welterweight, at
UFC 202
''UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on August 20, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
This event was t ...
. Diaz lost the rematch via majority decision. The contest was once again awarded ''Fight of the Night'' honors.
At the UFC 202 post-fight press conference, Diaz violated the
USADA
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti-doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...
rule by smoking CBD,
Cannabidiol
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid, one of 113 identified cannabinoids in ''Cannabis'', along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract. Medically, it is an anticonvulsant used to treat multiple f ...
, vape pen within four hours after a fight. He was not sanctioned as CBD is not considered a
PED. USADA changed their rules and lifted CBD from the banned list not long after.
2018
After a two-year-long layoff, it was announced on August 3, 2018, that Diaz was expected to return on November 3 against
Dustin Poirier
Dustin Glenn Poirier (born January 19, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. ...
in a lightweight bout. This bout was expected to serve as the co-headliner of
UFC 230. However, on October 9, 2018, it was announced that Poirier pulled out due to injury and as a result, the bout was canceled.
2019
Nate Diaz returned to competition on August 17 at
UFC 241. He faced
Anthony Pettis
Anthony Paul Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist, and professional boxer. Pettis formerly fought in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ...
in a welterweight bout which served as the co-main event. With a dominant performance, he won the fight by unanimous decision.
Diaz faced
Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Luis Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional boxer and former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions. Masvidal competed professionally for 20 years from 2003 unti ...
on November 2, 2019, in the main event of
UFC 244
''UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 2, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. It was the UFC's 5 ...
. In a unique situation, UFC President
Dana White
Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...
confirmed that the headlining bout was for a celebratory "baddest motherfucker" ('BMF') belt. After being dominated for most of the fight, Diaz lost the fight via TKO between rounds three and four when the cage-side physician determined a cut over Diaz's right eye rendered him unable to continue.
2021
Diaz was expected to face
Leon Edwards
Leon Edwards (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Welterweight Champion. A professional ...
on May 15, 2021, at
UFC 262
''UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 15, 2021 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States.
Background
A UFC Lightweight Championship ...
in the event's co-headliner, marking the first time a non-main event and non-title bout had been scheduled for 5 rounds. However, the bout was moved to
UFC 263 due to a minor injury sustained by Diaz and eventually took place for five rounds as well. Edwards controlled a vast majority of the bout, but was stunned badly with punches late in the fifth. Edwards won the fight by unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, 49–46).
2022
On the last fight of his UFC contract, Diaz was scheduled to face
Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Khizarovich Chimaev (born 1 May 1994) is an Emirati professional mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In freestyle wrestling, Chima ...
on September 10, 2022, in the main event of
UFC 279.
However, at the weigh-ins on September 9, Chimaev weighed in at 178.5 pounds, seven-and-a-half pounds over the welterweight non-title fight limit. As a result of Chimaev missing weight, he was removed from his bout with Diaz. Diaz instead faced
Tony Ferguson
Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist where he is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. A professional since 2008, and was signed to the UFC from his '' The Ultimate Fi ...
in the main event. Diaz won the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the fourth round. This win earned Diaz his second
''Performance of the Night'' bonus award.
Diaz opted to not re-sign with the UFC before the bout with Ferguson, thus making Diaz a free agent once the fight concluded.
Boxing career
Diaz vs. Paul
After becoming a free agent, Diaz decided to enter into the sport of boxing. On April 12, 2023, it was announced that Diaz would be making his professional boxing debut against
Jake Paul
Jake Joseph Paul (born January 17, 1997) is an American Professional boxing, professional boxer, influencer and actor. He began his career posting videos on Vine (service), Vine in September 2013 and had amassed 5.3 million followers and 2 bi ...
. The bout took place on August 5, 2023, at the
American Airlines Center
The American Airlines Center (AAC) is a multi-purpose List of indoor arenas, indoor arena located in the Victory Park, Dallas, Victory Park neighborhood in downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena serves as the home of the Dallas Stars of the National ...
in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
.
Paul defeated Diaz via
unanimous decision
A unanimous decision (UD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and other sports involving striking and submission in which all three judges agree on which fighte ...
with scores of 98–91, 98–91, and 97–92.
Diaz vs. Masvidal
On March 13, 2024, it was announced that Diaz would face
Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Luis Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional boxer and former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions. Masvidal competed professionally for 20 years from 2003 unti ...
on June 1, 2024, at the
Kia Forum
The Kia Forum, also known as Los Angeles Forum and formerly Great Western Forum, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States, adjacent to Los Angeles. Located on West Manchester Boulevard, with Pincay Drive to th ...
in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
in a 10-round bout at light heavyweight. On May 7, 2024, it was reported that the fight was rescheduled for July 6, 2024 at
Honda Center
Honda Center (formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim) is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League.
Originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction, it w ...
in
Anaheim, CA. On May 13, 2024, the new event date was confirmed for July 6, 2024. Diaz won the bout by majority decision.
After the boxing match with Jorge Masvidal, Diaz launched a lawsuit against Fanmio and its owner, Solomon Engel for fraud and breach of contract; alleging that he was only paid $1 million out of the total $10 million purse he was promised.
Personal life
Diaz's older brother
Nick
Nick may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Nick (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Désirée Nick, German actress and writer
Places
* Nick, Hungary, a village
* Nick, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland, a ...
is also a professional MMA fighter.
Both Diaz brothers are advocates for
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...
and even have a licensed line of marijuana pre-rolls made by California Finest. They currently run a
Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in
Stockton, California
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...
(Nick Diaz Academy), and founded a CBD company called Game Up Nutrition. He has been primarily
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...
since he was 18 years old, but admits to eating fish
from time to time. On June 20, 2018, it was announced that Diaz's girlfriend had given birth to their daughter.
In August 2022, Diaz publicly endorsed fellow UFC veteran
BJ Penn in his run for governor for Hawaii.
In September 2022, Diaz announced the news that he was starting his own combat sports promotion company, Real Fight Inc. Diaz remained connected to his roots, often giving back to his community in Stockton being involved with support for young fighters as he nurtures a new generation of talent. As a result of the attention that Diaz had brought to the city of Stockton, he was presented with a key to the city by the mayor during a
Stockton Kings
The Stockton Kings are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Stockton, California, and are affiliated with the Sacramento Kings. The Kings play their home games at the Adventist Health Arena and compete in the G ...
basketball game in December 2022.
In October 2022, Diaz was involved in a brawl backstage at the
Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva boxing match and was removed from the event as a result.
In April 2023, footage emerged of Diaz getting involved in an altercation in the street that ended with him choking a man unconscious. Diaz was then issued a warrant and Diaz turned himself in to the New Orleans Police Department on April 27, at 7:10 AM, facing a second-degree battery charge. Diaz's attorney claimed that he acted in self-defense and he was released on a $10,000 bond. On September 25, 2023, it was reported that the Orleans Parish would not pursue the case against Diaz indicating his actions were entirely in self defense as shown on video, clean in pictures and clear from the multiple witnesses.
Diaz was involved in an alleged altercation with a security guard by pushing him in the face with "an open hand" on August 24, 2024 at Omnia nightclub at Caesars Palace while holding up the line. A misdemeanor battery charge was filed against Diaz in October. He could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.
Championships and accomplishments
*
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
**
The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner
**
Fight of the Night (Eight times)
vs. Josh Neer
Joshua Martin Neer (born March 24, 1983) is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2003, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the IFL, and Shark Fights. N ...
, Clay Guida
Clayton Charles Guida (; born December 8, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the UFC in the Lightweight division. A professional since 2003, Guida also formerly competed for Strikeforce, the WEC, King of the ...
, Joe Stevenson
Joseph Christopher Stevenson (born June 15, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist fighting out of Hesperia, California. Coached by (UFC Hall of Famer) Matt Hughes, Stevenson rose to prominence by becoming The Ultimate Fighter 2 Welt ...
, Marcus Davis
Marcus Paul Davis (born August 24, 1973), is an American professional mixed martial artist and former professional boxer who is perhaps best known for competing in the UFC. A professional MMA competitor from 2003 until 2014, Davis also compete ...
, Donald Cerrone
Donald Anthony Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American former professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and actor. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions of the Ultima ...
, Michael Johnson, & Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...
(x2)
***Tied (
Frankie Edgar
Frankie Edgar (born October 16, 1981) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Beginning his career in the Lightweight division ...
&
Cub Swanson
Kevin Luke "Cub" Swanson (born November 2, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2004, S ...
) for fourth
most Fight of the Night bonuses in UFC history (8)
**
Knockout of the Night (One time)
vs. Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight and Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with forme ...
2
**
Performance of the Night (Two times)
vs. Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...
1 and Tony Ferguson
Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist where he is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. A professional since 2008, and was signed to the UFC from his '' The Ultimate Fi ...
**
Submission of the Night (Five times)
Alvin Robinson
Alvin Leavon Robinson (born July 16, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently fighting as a lightweight for the Bellator Fighting Championships. He is a former Ring of Fire lightweight champion. He holds a professional re ...
, Kurt Pellegrino
Kurt Joseph Pellegrino (born May 7, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the lightweight division for Bellator Fighting Championships and Ultimate Fighting Championship. He’s a former WEC champion.
Early life
Pell ...
, Melvin Guillard
Melvin Guillard (born March 30, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division.
Guillard most notably competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA and World S ...
, Takanori Gomi
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist who gained international fame in Pride Fighting Championships. Later in his career, Gomi also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is the only Pride FC Lightweight Champion in the ...
, & Jim Miller
***Third most
Post-Fight bonuses in UFC history (16)
**Tied (
Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon (born May 22, 1984) is a semi-retired American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC's Lightweight division. Described as a well-rounded fighter, he has the most post-fight bonus awards in UFC Lightweight history ...
) for the fourth most submission wins in UFC Lightweight division history (7)
**Tied (
Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer ...
) for fifth
most submissions in UFC history (10)
**Fifth most total strikes landed in UFC history (2487)
**Tied (
Nik Lentz
Nik Lentz (born August 13, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He most notably fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in the lightweight division.
Background
Lentz was born in El Paso, Texas but grew up in Twin ...
) for fourth most submission attempts in UFC history (26)
**UFC.com Awards
***2008:
Ranked #9 Fighter of the Year,
Ranked #7 Submission of the Year ,
Ranked #7 Fight of the Year &
Ranked #8 Fight of the Year
***2011:
Ranked #5 Submission of the Year &
Ranked #6 Fight of the Year
***2012:
Ranked #4 Submission of the Year
***2016:
Ranked #5 Upset of the Year &
Ranked #2 Fight of the Year
*''
MMAJunkie.com''
**2016 March Fight of the Month
vs. Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...
**2016 August Fight of the Month
vs. Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...
**2019 November Fight of the Month
vs. Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Luis Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional boxer and former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions. Masvidal competed professionally for 20 years from 2003 unti ...
*''
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...
''
**2011 All-Violence First Team
*''
World MMA Awards
The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...
''
**2016 Submission of the Year
vs. Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...
at UFC 196
*''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...
''
**2016
Feud of the Year vs. Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Win
, align=center, 21–13
,
Tony Ferguson
Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist where he is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. A professional since 2008, and was signed to the UFC from his '' The Ultimate Fi ...
, Submission (guillotine choke)
,
UFC 279
,
, align=center, 4
, align=center, 2:52
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 20–13
,
Leon Edwards
Leon Edwards (born 25 August 1991) is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Welterweight Champion. A professional ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 263
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located about nine miles northwest of the state capital Phoenix, Glendale is known for State Farm Stadium, which is the home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. The city al ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 20–12
,
Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Luis Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional boxer and former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions. Masvidal competed professionally for 20 years from 2003 unti ...
, TKO (doctor stoppage)
,
UFC 244
''UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 2, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. It was the UFC's 5 ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
New York City, New York
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 20–11
,
Anthony Pettis
Anthony Paul Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist, and professional boxer. Pettis formerly fought in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 241
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 19–11
,
Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...
, Decision (majority)
,
UFC 202
''UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on August 20, 2016, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
This event was t ...
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 19–10
,
Conor McGregor
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight and UFC Lightweight Championship, Li ...
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
,
UFC 196
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 4:12
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 18–10
,
Michael Johnson
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 17–10
,
Rafael dos Anjos
Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born 26 October 1984), also known by his initials RDA, is a Brazilian and American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Champion ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 17–9
,
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight and Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with forme ...
, TKO (punches)
,
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate Finale
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:38
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 16–9
,
Josh Thomson
Joshua Joseph Thomson (born September 21, 1978) is an American mixed martial arts podcaster, commentator, analyst and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2001, Thomson has competed in Bellator MMA, PRIDE, Strikeforce, U ...
, TKO (head kick and punches)
,
UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 3:44
,
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 16–8
,
Benson Henderson
Benson Henderson (born November 16, 1983) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the Lightweight division for Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and WEC Lightweight Champion. H ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 16–7
,
Jim Miller
, Submission (guillotine choke)
,
UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 4:09
,
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner suburb, inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 Unit ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 15–7
,
Donald Cerrone
Donald Anthony Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American former professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and actor. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions of the Ultima ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 141
''UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Friday December 30, 2011, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The UFC returned to a 10 p.m. ET st ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 14–7
,
Takanori Gomi
is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist who gained international fame in Pride Fighting Championships. Later in his career, Gomi also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is the only Pride FC Lightweight Champion in the ...
, Submission (armbar)
,
UFC 135
''UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 24, 2011, at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.
Background
The Ultimate Fighting Championship had its first ever event in De ...
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:27
,
Denver, Colorado
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 13–7
,
Rory MacDonald
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 129
''UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Background
The event was the sixth that the UFC has hosted in ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Canada
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 13–6
,
Dong Hyun Kim
Kim Dong-hyun (; born November 17, 1981), anglicized as Dong Hyun Kim, is a South Korean retired mixed martial artist who most notably fought in the UFC's welterweight division. He was signed by the UFC after fighting in the Japanese promotion ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 125
''UFC 125: Resolution'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The planned rematch between UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 13–5
,
Marcus Davis
Marcus Paul Davis (born August 24, 1973), is an American professional mixed martial artist and former professional boxer who is perhaps best known for competing in the UFC. A professional MMA competitor from 2003 until 2014, Davis also compete ...
, Technical Submission (guillotine choke)
,
UFC 118
''UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 28, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The third UFC Fan Expo coincided with the event. This event was t ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 4:02
,
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 12–5
,
Rory Markham
Rory Markham (born March 25, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist and actor who most recently acted alongside Will Smith playing Booker Grassie in the latest addition to the '' Bad Boys'' franchise ''Bad Boys for Life''. Formerly ...
, TKO (punches)
,
UFC 111
''UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on March 27, 2010, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, United States.
Background
The '' UFC Primetime'' series returned ...
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:47
,
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 11–5
,
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight and Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with forme ...
, Decision (split)
,
UFC Fight Night: Maynard vs. Diaz
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia and the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 24,146.
Fairfax is pa ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 11–4
,
Melvin Guillard
Melvin Guillard (born March 30, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division.
Guillard most notably competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA and World S ...
, Submission (guillotine choke)
,
UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:13
,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 10–4
,
Joe Stevenson
Joseph Christopher Stevenson (born June 15, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist fighting out of Hesperia, California. Coached by (UFC Hall of Famer) Matt Hughes, Stevenson rose to prominence by becoming The Ultimate Fighter 2 Welt ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom Finale
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 10–3
,
Clay Guida
Clayton Charles Guida (; born December 8, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the UFC in the Lightweight division. A professional since 2003, Guida also formerly competed for Strikeforce, the WEC, King of the ...
, Decision (split)
,
UFC 94
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 10–2
,
Josh Neer
Joshua Martin Neer (born March 24, 1983) is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2003, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the IFL, and Shark Fights. N ...
, Decision (split)
,
UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 9–2
,
Kurt Pellegrino
Kurt Joseph Pellegrino (born May 7, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the lightweight division for Bellator Fighting Championships and Ultimate Fighting Championship. He’s a former WEC champion.
Early life
Pell ...
, Submission (triangle choke)
,
UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 3:06
,
Broomfield, Colorado
Broomfield is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county located in the United States, U.S. Colorado, state of Colorado. It has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sect ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 8–2
,
Alvin Robinson
Alvin Leavon Robinson (born July 16, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently fighting as a lightweight for the Bellator Fighting Championships. He is a former Ring of Fire lightweight champion. He holds a professional re ...
, Submission (triangle choke)
,
UFC Fight Night: Swick vs. Burkman
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:39
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 7–2
,
Junior Assunção
, Submission (guillotine choke)
,
UFC Fight Night: Thomas vs. Florian
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:10
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 6–2
,
Manny Gamburyan
Manny Gamburyan (; born May 8, 1981) is an Armenian retired mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC's lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions. A professional competitor since 1999, he was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultim ...
, TKO (shoulder injury)
,
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Pulver vs. Team Penn Finale
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 0:20
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 5–2
,
Hermes França
, Submission (armbar)
,
WEC 24
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:46
,
Lemoore, California
Lemoore (formerly La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 252 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 5–1
, Dennis Davis
, Submission (keylock)
, Warrior Cup 1
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:00
,
Stockton, California
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4–1
, Joe Hurley
, Submission (triangle choke)
,
WEC 21
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:03
,
Highland, California
Highland (inc. East Highlands) is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States located 65 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles and roughly 50 miles west of Palm Springs, California. The city's population, inclusive to its neighbor ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–1
, Gilbert Rael
, TKO (punches)
,
WEC 20
''WEC 20: Cinco de Mayhem'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on May 5, 2006 at Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. ''WEC 20s main event was a heavyweight bout between Brian Olsen and ...
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:35
,
Lemoore, California
Lemoore (formerly La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 252 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–1
, Tony Juares
, TKO (punches)
,
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:23
,
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 1–1
, Koji Oishi
, Decision (unanimous)
,
Pancrase: 2005 Neo-Blood Tournament Finals
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Alejandro Garcia
, Submission (triangle choke)
,
WEC 12
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 2:17
,
Lemoore, California
Lemoore (formerly La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 252 ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
,
Gray Maynard
Bradley Gray Maynard (born May 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight and Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Between 2008 and 2011, he competed in a noted rivalry with forme ...
, Submission (guillotine choke)
, rowspan=3,
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Pulver vs. Team Penn
, (air date)
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 1:17
, rowspan=3,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
,
Corey Hill
, Submission (triangle choke)
, (air date)
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:02
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
,
Rob Emerson
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, (air date)
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 4:45
,
[
]
Professional boxing record
Pay-per-view bouts
MMA
Boxing
See also
* List of male mixed martial artists
This is a list of notable professional male mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order.
__NOTOC__
A
* Tank Abbott - ( UFC, Pride, Strikeforce)
* Hamdy Abdelwahab - ( UFC)
* Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov - ( ACB)
* Shamil Abdurakhimov - ...
References
External links
Official UFC Profile
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diaz, Nathan
1985 births
Living people
American male mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists from California
American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent
Lightweight mixed martial artists
Welterweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
The Ultimate Fighter winners
American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Sportspeople from Stockton, California
Sportspeople from Lodi, California
People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
American cannabis activists
Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters
Tokay High School alumni
American male boxers
Boxers from California