Nate Diaz is back, ladies and gentlemen.
Stockton's other native son has been disappointingly inactive over the last two years. He defeated Gray Maynard in emphatic fashion in 2013 but spent almost all of 2014 out of the cage due to a contract dispute with the UFC. His eventual return came opposite Rafael dos Anjos and was an absolute disappointment from a competitive standpoint as Diaz posted one of the worst performances of his career.
He had the chance to right the ship at UFC on Fox 17, however, by facing Michael Johnson, a decisive Top 10 name that many ranked among the top five. And boy, did Diaz ever do that Saturday.
The first round played out exactly as one would expect from these two. Johnson leaned on his blistering quickness to pepper Diaz with kicks and lunge into left straights. Diaz utilized his crazy reach to keep Johnson at a manageable distance while spitting curse words.
As the round wore on, Diaz started finding homes for his left hand, tagging him and slipping counters, taunting and smirking at each successful exchange. Johnson, however, started to catch up, smacking him with leg kicks and evening up exchanges.
The second round was the same but cleaner from both men. Diaz gained confidence in his jab, tagging Johnson repeatedly while Johnson fired back with hard shots in the pocket. In the middle of the second, though, Johnson suddenly had his defenses shattered. Diaz began landing 1-2 punches at will while taunting and laughing in Johnson's face.
The third round saw Johnson looking a tad desperate, trying to storm through Diaz's jab while landing flurries every time he got within range. Diaz, however, continued pressing forward, working him over with his jab. After the halfway point of the round, Diaz was in full control and started to confidently tag him with punches.
(Warning, NSFW Language)
Here it is everyone Here is Nate Diaz's uncensored speech... pic.twitter.com/ZtU4RISitT
— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) December 20, 2015
The horn sounded with some post-fight antics after Diaz held onto Johnson's leg after a takedown attempt and the two were pulled apart by the referee. The verdict was handed down as a unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 29-28.
Here are some notes and thoughts on the fight:
- This is arguably the best performance of Diaz's career, and that says a lot because he has posted dominant wins over Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone.
- Something happened in the second round that changed the complexion of this fight. The proceedings were competitive throughout the first round, but Johnson's defensive skills just suddenly disappeared after a seemingly innocuous exchange. It's possible he may have been punched in the eye or broken his orbital, which set him on the path to defeat.
- Diaz called out Conor McGregor with a series of expletives after the fight. Don't worry, fans! He's still the same guy he was back in 2012.
- That said, with his dominant, and I do mean dominant, 2011 win over Cerrone, don't be all that surprised to see Diaz back in the title picture.
