Tag: Nate Diaz

UFC on Fox 3: Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks’ Title Hopes Will Be Squashed

Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks have been given the opportunity of a lifetime. They are fighting in the top two matches on a UFC on FOX show and Dana White has said that if they win their respective fights against Jim Miller and Josh Koscheck that title …

Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks have been given the opportunity of a lifetime. They are fighting in the top two matches on a UFC on FOX show and Dana White has said that if they win their respective fights against Jim Miller and Josh Koscheck that title shots await. 

With all the pressure on their shoulders for this big primetime event, Diaz and Hendricks will fail in their quests for gold. It is through no fault of their own, they are just locked in bad matchups that don’t play well to their styles. 

Miller was on his way to earning a shot at the lightweight championship last year. He was 20-2 with seven straight victories. His momentum got cut off last August against Benson Henderson, who went on to win the title from Frankie Edgar in February. 

Diaz’s title shot is interesting, just because he is 5-4 in his last nine fights. He does have two straight wins to his credit—a submission win over Takanori Gomi and a unanimous decision win over Donald Cerrone that was one of the most exciting fights of the year—but he hasn’t beaten a lot of top guys. 

The only reason Miller isn’t getting into title contention right now is because he isn’t a flashy, exciting fighter. He shows up, does his job and does it well, then goes home. But he is a better all-around fighter than Diaz and will prove that this Saturday. 

As for Hendricks, he has more of a claim to a title shot at welterweight than Diaz does at lightweight. He has three straight wins on his resume, including a 12-second knockout of perennial contender Jon Fitch last December. 

Koscheck’s stock might be down just a bit because his victory over Mike Pierce in February looked sloppy, but he is a better wrestler and striker than Hendricks. As long as he doesn’t let his surgically repaired eye get the best of him, which is what happened in the fight against Pierce, he is going to win this fight. 

Hendricks does fight a similar style to Koscheck; both are former world class wrestlers who have turned into strong stand-up fighters. 

Still, at this stage of the game, Koscheck is a better fighter and tough stylistic matchup for Hendricks. 

With two title shots on the line Saturday night, neither one of the fighters vying for the opportunity are going to find the brass ring at the top of the mountain. 

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UFC on FOX 3: Should the Winner of Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller Get a Title Shot?

At UFC on FOX 3, Nate Diaz and Jim Miller are slated to lock horns for a chance to move further up the lightweight rankings. However, neither fighter deserves a shot at UFC gold, even with this win on his record. That honor should be bestowed upon Anth…

At UFC on FOX 3, Nate Diaz and Jim Miller are slated to lock horns for a chance to move further up the lightweight rankings. However, neither fighter deserves a shot at UFC gold, even with this win on his record. That honor should be bestowed upon Anthony “Showtime” Pettis.

That said, with UFC President Dana White recently suggesting a title tilt is in the offing should Diaz triumph, that just might be the case; however, that’s not so for Miller, as one or two more wins is the requisite number to challenge for the 155-pound crown.

Still, regardless of what the promotion’s supremo has voiced, the Diaz thumbs up is the wrong decision to make.

Miller (21-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for sure shouldn’t even get a sniff at the title right now—he had the opportunity to vie for the belt, but came unstuck against current 155-pound title-holder Benson Henderson, thus scuppering his immediate championship aspirations. And despite defeating Melvin Guillard, succeeding in derailing Diaz, too, still doesn’t justify a title shot.

Conversely, I believe if Diaz (15-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC), who is currently riding a two-fight win streak with victories over Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone, defeats Miller, one more win will suffice for the lightweight Holy Grail.

Prior to the aforementioned successes, the Stockton, Calif., native was 0-2, losing to Kim Dong-Hyun and Rory McDonald.

Now, Pettis (15 -2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) defeated Henderson to capture the WEC lightweight title, and even though he lost on his UFC debut to Clay Guida, he quickly rectified that with wins against Jeremy Stephens and Joe Lauzon.

If any of the top-10-ranked fighters in that weight class deserve a shot at the winner of Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar, Showtime is the man.

Diaz or Miller for the championship is a non-starter.

 

For additional information, follow Nedu Obi on Twitter.

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UFC on Fox 3 Fight Card: Who Has the Most to Gain?

When the UFC on Fox 3 airs tomorrow night, there are a lot of fighters who are fighting for more than just a win. Some fight for title shots. Some fight for contention. Others fight just to stay relevant. In the middleweight division, Rousima…

When the UFC on Fox 3 airs tomorrow night, there are a lot of fighters who are fighting for more than just a win. Some fight for title shots. Some fight for contention. Others fight just to stay relevant. 

In the middleweight division, Rousimar Palhares is looking to extend his recent record to 7-1 when he takes on Alan Belcher. He has torn through the lower-ranked fighters in the division and faltered when put against the elite. With previous losses to Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson, a win for Palhares tomorrow will signal his first win over a legitimate contender.

Jim Miller is looking for the elusive title shot that appeared to be in his reach just one year ago. Miller was riding a seven-fight win streak when he faced Benson Henderson last summer. The now-champion dominated Miller and blew him off the path to gold. After defeating Melvin Guillard back in January, a win for Miller will show Joe Silva that he is still an elite member of the lightweight division.

Speaking of a title shot, welterweight Johny Hendricks is in the hunt for a crack at the 170-pound belt. After rattling off a 12-second knockout of perennial contender Jon Fitch, Hendricks will try to defeat another former title contender in the form of Josh Koscheck.

The hurdles that stand in his way are two previously announced fights: Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit for the UFC Welterweight Championship and Jake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann, which has been pointed to as a No. 1 contenders bout. It’s very possible that an intriguing outcome in either of those bouts could put Bigg Rigg out in the cold.

At the end of the day, though, main-eventer Nate Diaz has more to gain than anyone else on the card.

Dana White stated that a win for Diaz will secure him a shot at the UFC lightweight championship. With an August 11th fight between Frankie Edgar and champion Benson Henderson already on the docket at UFC 150, a win tomorrow night opens the door for Nate to challenge for the belt by the year’s end. And unlike Hendricks, there are few human barriers along the way.

All of these fighters are featured on the main card of UFC on FOX 3, which airs tomorrow night at 8pm.

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UFC on Fox 3: Watch Main-Card Fighters Face off at Pre-Fight Presser

MMA fans will get a card worth waiting for on Saturday night, as the UFC brings some of its most exciting fighters to Las Vegas for the third UFC on Fox event.In the main event, lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller—both coming off of impressive …

MMA fans will get a card worth waiting for on Saturday night, as the UFC brings some of its most exciting fighters to Las Vegas for the third UFC on Fox event.

In the main event, lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller—both coming off of impressive victories—will fight for a chance to face the champion. Miller was last seen submitting Melvin Guillard while Diaz defeated Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone to put him in the No. 1 contender’s bout.

Many expect it to be a long and highly competitive fight between two of the division’s toughest fighters, and both fighter’s past fights prove it.

In the co-main event, Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks will fight in a matchup of two of the best wrestlers in the welterweight division. Hendricks knocked out the former No. 2 welterweight Jon Fitch at UFC 141 to get the biggest win of his career.

Koscheck defeated Mike Pierce in a closely-contested bout from UFC 143. He’s also coming off of a victory over Matt Hughes.

Also on the main card, submission ace Rousimar Palhares returns to take on Alan Belcher. Palhares is coming off a heel hook victory over Mike Massenzio while Belcher is on a three-fight winning streak—the longest of his UFC career.

Heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson will open the main card, which airs at 8 p.m. ET.

Other bouts on Fuel TV include Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson, John Dodson vs. Tim Elliot and John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss

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UFC on FOX 3 Weigh-in Results: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller Fight Card

The UFC’s third outing on the FOX network may not be as hyped up as the previous two, but it promises to be more thrilling than both prior events combined. The main event features Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz, two competitors who are known for their h…

The UFC’s third outing on the FOX network may not be as hyped up as the previous two, but it promises to be more thrilling than both prior events combined. 

The main event features Jim Miller vs. Nate Diaz, two competitors who are known for their high-level grappling skills and willingness to fight rather than score points and stall. 

The co-main event is a fight between heavy-handed wrestlers Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks. Some might malign a pairing of wrestlers, but such matchups often end up being exciting—the wrestling abilities of both men cancel out and fans wind up with a barn-burner. 

The rest of the card (both the main and preliminary bouts) also promise to be intriguing contests that will make any and all fans who tune in glad they did so. 

Today, the weigh-ins are taking place at 4 P.M. ET and Bleacher Report will have the results while they happen. 

 

Main Card

Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller

Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks

Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher

Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson 

 

Preliminary Card

Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson

John Dodson vs. Tim Elliott

John Hathaway vs. Pascal Krauss

Louis Guadinot vs. John Lineker

Danny Castillo vs. John Cholish

Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza

Roland Delorme vs. Nick Denis

Mike Massenzio vs. Karlos Vemola

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UFC on FOX 3: Nate Diaz Can Talk, but Jim Miller Will Punch Him in the Face

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 respe…

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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