Nathan Diaz: How burritos and obscure Japanese sport created the Stockton slap

The Diaz brothers are many things – brash, fearless and arguably the most well-conditioned fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts. In recent years the brothers have become extremely outspoken on how they feel they’ve been treated by the UFC higher ups with many conspiracy theories and verbal tirades especially from Nick - (who hasn’t entered the cage since early 2015). The MMA media is filled with headlines and articles on whatever demand or post-aggressive comment the Diaz brothers make, which is a shame because it wasn’t always that way and when you stop concerning yourself with the external and focus in on what turned the brothers from relative obscurity in the gyms and the converted garages of Stockton, California they rose to become two of the most well recognized stars in all of combat sports.

The early days:

The humble beginning of Nate Diaz is part of his widespread appeal. Nate began training because of hunger, not for success or any kind of media attention but… burritos: "So if I went to train, I'd get something to eat. Sometimes I'd be sitting at home and it was like if I go train with Nick, I'll get something to eat afterwards. If I don’t, I'll just sit here and be hungry.” Nate quickly found himself training every day and became a sparring partner for his brother Nick in the lead up to his fights, before long he received his blue belt.

In 2006 Diaz found himself competing in a pancrase bout against Koji Oishi (25-10) before making the transition to full MMA competitions. Nate’s early career was nothing special, in the early 2000s his striking was sloppy and unrefined. Nate would find himself throwing random 1-2s and awkward southpaw check hooks with his head only moving off the centre line in the usually often event of missing a cross, although he did show a fantastic instinct for pull counters. The saving grace of Nate’s sloppy boxing and front foot heavy stance was cardiovascular one. What has now become a staple of the Diaz Brothers game was in 2007 a relative unknown. Diaz would walk his man down absorbing punishment like a lanky, Mexican heavy bag until his opponent began to stumble and breathe heavy as they physically and mentally drained, at this point in a fight Diaz’s boxing would sharpen up throwing whipping jabs and sharp left straights while slipping back off the only boxing technique of early 2000’s MMA, that being the overhand right.
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