The Diaz Brothers will always be some of the more polarizing figures in mixed martial arts. But there's an awful lot more to it than the fact that they're poor sports in the octagon - it helps (or hurts, really) that they're really, really, really good. Seriously. Super good.
In other words, why devote some of that precious, precious hate you love to spread around to a fighter who isn't worth a damn when he steps into the octagon? Why devote any actual distaste toward, say, Sean McCorkle? People throw it at the Diaz brothers because they're great at two things: their own, legitimate brand of showmanship and, of course, fighting.
When people hated on Nick Diaz, he went on a long winning streak and amped up the things that people hated tenfold, building a fanbase of the people who love that brand of (un)sportsman-like conduct. And there is nothing at all wrong with that - not even a little bit. They've earned the right to handle themselves however they want, or at the very least, Nick did, until UFC On Fox 3.
Nate Diaz earned the honor in amazing fashion. He became the first man to stop Jim Miller in the octagon, and did so while taunting all the way. He taunted Miller just before dropping him with a straight left, and he taunted him after forcing Miller to tap to a guillotine (a submission that surely was going to finish Miller regardless, but one he might have been content riding through and passing out as opposed to tapping, if only he wasn't about to bite his tongue off due to a discarded mouthpiece).
And that's just perfect. Diaz has had a career resurgence - if you can cal three fights a resurgence. This writer is totally OK with doing so, given the seemingly endless progression as a fighter over the past three fights. Personally, I've never been a fan of the Diaz brothers and their showmanship - but Nate is making me a fan by showing that they're not just one trick ponies.
Personally excited to watch the next Nate Diaz fight - signed, an excited new fan.