UFC ‘money weight’ Nick Diaz may be the best and worst representation of a martial artist in modern MMA.
The expletive hurling, nunchuck twirling Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt isn’t above breaking out the ole Stockton Salute on occasion, but Diaz says he’d never seriously target an opponent’s injury.
“When someone tells you a fighter’s injured and they tell you to go after an injury, it really throws you off,” Diaz told media in Las Vegas (via Yahoo! Sports). “It would be sad to lose a fight on account of, you’re trying to concentrate on capitalizing on someone’s weakness when it comes to injury and something like that, [rather than fighting] your fight without worrying about something like that.”
Diaz faces former middleweight champion Anderson Silva Jan. 31 at UFC 183 just 13 months removed from the Brazilian’s catastrophic leg break suffered in his rematch with Chris Weidman at UFC 168.
With even Silva admitting his own reservations over the readiness of the surgically repaired limb, Diaz certainly couldn’t be blamed for going right after it.
“I fought someone a long time ago,” Diaz said. “Someone came up to me and told me that [his opponent’s] knee was hurt, and he said to me, attack his knee, I’m like, ‘Yeah right, I’m not going out to attack this guy’s knee.’ It just doesn’t … it’s not realistic to go after his injury, unless they got a cut the same week, then it’s like, yeah, hit him in the eye, because the [expletive] is going to re-open and now you wouldn’t fight on the cut. Maybe on a cut you want to take advantage of it, that makes sense.”
Diaz faces Silva in the main event at UFC 183 on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
‘Fighting in the United States is easy.’ Renan Barao says T.J. Dillashaw would ‘crap his pants’ if they fought in Brazil.
‘Anybody. I can beat them.’ Will Brooks says he can ‘beat anybody in the lightweight division: Bellator, UFC or World Series of Fighting.’
Chat Wrap. Luke Thomas discusses the Conor McGregor-Frankie Edgar sweepstakes, Pacquiao-Algieri, UFC Fight Night 57 results and more in this week’s live chat.
Kid is back. Norifumi ‘Kid’ Yamamoto, one time the biggest star of Japanese MMA, returns to action against Roman Salazar at UFC 184 after a three-year absence.
‘Slaughterhouse in a blouse.’ Ronda Rousey says she’s ‘honored’ by Eminem’s lewd lyrics. ‘Art isn’t meant to be nice.’
MEDIA STEW
Bellator 131 Uncut.
UFC rankings report.
Mark Schultz talks ‘Foxcatcher’ and the early days of UFC.
Highlights from Jessica Penne vs. Aisling Daly from TUF 20.
Chris Camozzi’s first fight since being released by UFC.
Tyron Woodley ‘outraged’ by Ferguson violence.
Michelle Waterson vs. Yasuko Tamada at Invicta FC 9.
Long watches.
MMA 3 Way: Thanksgiving Ingratitude Special
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TP’s Technique Talk: UFN Austin Metamoris 5
TWEETS
Cloudy.
This stadium has hosted many wars. It will host one more. WELCOME TO EIRE!!! pic.twitter.com/O3ERHHwf9e
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 26, 2014
Soon.
a few more training sessions in Texas and then we are off to Vegas for #UFC181 @reebok @sa… http://t.co/MmC9NPX6Wj pic.twitter.com/c1slpx5WLY
— Johny Hendricks (@JohnyHendricks) November 26, 2014
OK.
Let me teach you to how take a proper #Soloselfie in the new @Beatsbydre http://t.co/5GloRIoh2e pic.twitter.com/3RVeuoAtAQ
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) November 26, 2014
Nice.
Getting ready to put some work in @law_mma http://t.co/V24p7k7wo2
— Chris Weidman (@ChrisWeidmanUFC) November 26, 2014
Love it.
The east coast is going to bring it at #UFC183. @ALIAQUINTA and I are going to steal the show.
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) November 26, 2014
Great pic.
“@GinaCarano_Fan: November Reunion was a stroll down memory lane! https://t.co/Kha4nJhZvD pic.twitter.com/ZttbxYdExC” Haa. Oh wow.
— Gina Carano (@ginacarano) November 27, 2014
Congrats.
Our little man with an attitude! pic.twitter.com/ZKqyGSxB5b
— Eddie Wineland (@EddieWineland) November 26, 2014
The struggle.
Broke as a mother fucker now. 🙁
— STORMIN NORMAN PARKE (@norman_parke) November 26, 2014
My buddy just rolled my Mazda,he was so afraid tell me I said spencer it’s only stuff, glad your ok! Now mama she’s pissed. @lssheffield
— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) November 27, 2014
Wondering why everyones complaining about Ebola ? I had that 4 years ago. Sure it sucked but I trained through it. #yourmajesty
— Angela Magana UFC (@AngelaMagana1) November 26, 2014
#Cause & #Effect http://t.co/qc5lVzqjB2
— Joe Lauzon (@JoeLauzon) November 26, 2014
Excited to be at the dentist today.!!! #SaidNooneever #InstaSize http://t.co/XqY9tngoHR
— Kelvin Gastelum (@KelvinGastelum) November 26, 2014
Got me a new front tooth bitches ! #ImSoHappy #HeyBabyYourHotImHotSoWhyNot… http://t.co/FYdcDIQi5A
— Zach Underwood (@Thunderwood01) November 26, 2014
Practice number 4 for the day, tired and wore down but staying on that #grind to make sure I shine on… http://t.co/DkoV6hY8EC
— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) November 26, 2014
Look at the happiness running up mountains brings me! http://t.co/fbSPawhMIq
— Frank Mir (@thefrankmir) November 22, 2014
$4 US dollars, $25 Australian dollars & 20 Pesos to my name & I’m in Canada.. I’m up shit creek without a paddle pic.twitter.com/iiazScy1OQ
— ‘Rowdy’ Bec Rawlings (@RowdyBec) November 26, 2014
A scratched eye ball and let’s call it a night. #JiuJitsuProblems http://t.co/ewtjoJMK33 pic.twitter.com/Ir8pzPrwMf
— James Krause (@TheJamesKrause) November 26, 2014
Stepping on the scale the morning after Fogo De Chao #brazilliansteakhouse is a tense feeling
— Patrick Healy (@BamBamHealy) November 26, 2014
DAMN I’m stuck in bed. 3 training sessions down, 1 more to go. HELP
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) November 26, 2014
Meu iPhone acabou de cair no chão e ficou dessa forma, já é a segunda vez que isso acontece comigo. pic.twitter.com/WPVTJb0cF3
— william patolino (@williampatolino) November 26, 2014
True pain is walking to bathroom at 4am and stepping on your dogs have chewed Nylabone.
— Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) November 21, 2014
Lying on the ground in a mud puddle trying to reach a ball that rolled under the car for the mancub when my former boss walks by. Oh. Hi.
— Peggy Morgan (@peggymorganmma) November 24, 2014
Why does nothing in my life workout? Cant take much more of this shit
— josh hill (@gentlemanjhill) November 20, 2014
Some of the tools I use to loosen my body, kind of scary!!! #selfmassage http://t.co/uKvoVV6T3K pic.twitter.com/KiF00U1wTF
— TJ Waldburger (@TJWaldburger) November 25, 2014
Where my life is headed http://t.co/uGzHTLN8iv pic.twitter.com/YZ0SuEV3T7
— Mitch Clarke (@MitchClarkeMMA) November 26, 2014
This is literally me unless I’m with @JonCruzTuck @AJames93 or @seesamfight they understand the struggle pic.twitter.com/XVNhgb8ZJV
— David Michaud (@bulldawgUFC) November 26, 2014
Dodging punches but forgetting about the banana skins @KieranConlin @BrianHyslop @higherlevelmma… http://t.co/wOvt2tS99X
— Joanne Calderwood (@DRkneevil) November 26, 2014
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Nov. 26 2014)
Charles Rosa vs. Sean Soriano at UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver
Roman Salazar vs. Norifumi Yamamoto at UFC 184
Al Iaquinta vs. Joe Lauzon at UFC 183
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via Oliveira Bros.
The mental game of Frankie Edgar
Every athlete seeks the best performance ever. When we talk about optimal performance we usually refer to spectacular moves and out of the ordinary stuff that is only seen in movies.
Such performances appear to be a gift for few. Most athletes think they are far from this stage and some might think that it is unreachable.
These ideas about optimal performance are far away from the actual experience. Neuroscience tells us that optimal performance can be reached and demonstrates what happens in our brains in it occurs.
It is said that when athletes are in flow (a stage of optimal performance) they have a decrease of conscious activity in the brain. They actually perform in a more automatic manner. So, when in optimal performance the athlete thinks less and lets his training take over. It’s more of a intuitive thing.
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Check out the rest of the post here.
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