It’s no secret that Nathan—and yes, he prefers to be called Nathan—is the tamer of the Diaz brothers.
In public situations, Nick can be a handful to deal with. This is not a big secret. Nathan, on the other hand, is generally quiet and respectful to media and fans. The only time he gets fired up and puts on his Diaz suit is when he’s provoked by his opponents, as witnessed in his confrontation with Donald Cerrone at the UFC 141 press conference in December.
In the cage, it’s a different story. Nathan takes on just about every characteristic of his older brother. You see the constant trash-talking and the mocking hand movements. It’s just part of the Diaz style, and it’s hard for some of their opponents to deal with.
That verbal assault won’t come as a surprise to Jim Miller when he steps in the cage with Diaz on Saturday night. Miller told MMAWeekly Radio that growing up in a house full of brothers prepared him for anything Diaz can throw his way:
I grew up with three siblings so anything that’s said in there is sticks and stones. I just don’t worry about that stuff. Not give him the opportunity to talk. I’m not here to play the games and all that stuff. If it comes down to that, he can worry about talking. I’m not going to be. I’m going to try to punch him as hard as I can and choke him out.
I’m not going to lie to you, folks. Watching Nick and Nathan unleash a constant stream of verbal abuse on their opponents is one of the major reasons I enjoy watching them fight so much.
It’s always interesting to see how guys handle it. Some guys ignore it, while others get flustered and lose sight of their game plan. It’s a very effective tactic for unsettling their opponents, though I don’t think that’s the reason they do it.
They do it because, at their core, the Diaz brothers are in a fight. They don’t view UFC bouts as competitions or as a way to test themselves against other athletes. They’re here to fight like they do in the streets of their hometown, and that usually involves a little trash-talking. Or a lot of trash-talking.
I’ll be interested to see how Miller responds to Diaz in the cage. It’s one thing to say you’re prepared for it, but it’s an entirely different thing when a Diaz is standing in front of you insulting you, your mother, your fighting style and the way you look.
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