Allow me to get a bit away from the analyst in me to speak as somewhat of a fan. Despite the fact that I write for SB Nation Bay Area and that both Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz represent this region to a degree, I've always been very against the both of them. There's something about the both of them that really got on my nerves, and I took great joy in seeing them lose. Unfortunately, they rarely lost.
That being said, Nate has turned me into a pretty big fan of late. He's shown a ton of improvement, and a lot of the things he used to do, he doesn't anymore. I was always put off by the things Nick says, his interviews, his attitude and the way he carries himself around his opponents. I've never been outspoken against his antics because, really, there's nothing more annoying than an outraged fan who thinks other people care about the fact that he doesn't like somebody's personality (looking at you, Jon Jones haters).
But I do think it's worth noting that I like the direction Nate is going. You can debate his future in the lightweight division for hours upon hours, but I really like the fact that he's no longer giving idiotic interviews like Nick, and that when he talks big game before a fight, he usually backs it up and doesn't keep it personal after the fight. Nick occasionally will carry himself well after a fight, but usually, he's disrespectful and punkish. That's OK - you won't find any of the silly "bad for MMA" talk from me - I'm simply not a fan.
I really liked the way Diaz carried himself after the fight with Donald Cerrone at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem. More than that, I liked the fact that he even mentioned before the fight that it wasn't personal, that he just wanted Cerrone to be as uncomfortable as possible before a fight. That's the way you should do it.
At least in my opinion.
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UFC 141 Results: Nate Diaz Can Walk The Walk To Backup His ... Well, You Get It
Jan 1
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