The lightweight main event this Saturday will possibly have title implications, according to UFC president Dana White.
This is similar to the situation in January, where Rashad Evans’ win over Phil Davis earned him a title shot at light heavyweight Jon Jones, despite the fact that a win by Davis that night wouldn’t have resulted in the same reward.
According to Dana White, “If Diaz wins, he gets a title shot; if Miller wins, he is probably still a fight or two away.”
This is great news for the younger brother of the infamous Nick Diaz. It also ends speculation about who’s next in the long line of lightweight contenders to face the winner of the rematch between champion Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar.
Diaz has had a rocky career in terms of wins and losses, but in the last several months, he seems to be in the zone. After submitting the veteran Takanori Gomi with an armbar, he picked apart a great striker in Donald Cerrone, who, at the time, was also in the running for a lightweight contention.
Nate’s style of fighting is very similar to his older brother’s style. They both attempt to overwhelm their opponents with a barrage of punches at a constant pace that is difficult for many to maintain. Also, they almost never move backwards, and they usually welcome takedowns from their opponents, since their skill level in jiu-jitsu ranks high in comparison with anyone in the promotion, regardless of weight class.
It will be interesting to see how the wrestler Jim Miller approaches such a skilled submission fighter on the ground.
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