If UFC 279 is the end of the road for Nate Diaz he has carved out a place in the UFC record book
We don’t know if UFC 279 will mark the end of the Nate Diaz era with the UFC, but it looks as if his matchup with Tony Ferguson at the top of the pay-per-view card might be Diaz’s final go with the promotion. If that is the case, Diaz, the winner of Season 5 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2007 leaves the promotion with a lengthy list of mentions in the UFC record book.
Diaz fought for WEC, Pancrase, Strikeforce and Warrior Cup before finding his way into the TUF house. He won the UFC contract that season with a TKO win (shoulder injury) over Manvel Gamburyan. While Diaz had his ups and downs with the organization, once he signed with the UFC, he stuck with the promotion. He never held a title under the UFC banner, but his three-fight winning streak where he disposed of Takanori Gomi, Donald Cerrone and Jim Miller, earned him a shot at then UFC lightweight titleholder Benson Henderson. Henderson won that 2012 contest via decision.
By the time Diaz faced Henderson, he was a favorite of the hardcore fans. His level of popularity and notoriety skyrocketed in 2016 when he submitted Conor McGregor and then dropped a majority decision to the Irish fighter in their rematch.
Diaz might be on a 1-3 run heading into the Ferguson fight, but his tenacity, toughness and willingness to battle through anything that gets thrown his way, means he is never out of a fight until the final horn.
Before Diaz possibly competes for the last time inside the UFC octagon, take a look at the where he stands in the UFC record book ahead of UFC 279, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view.