Nick Diaz Record: 26-10-0

Ups and downs across promotions

Diaz's UFC stint in the mid-2000s was uneven. He dropped decisions to Karo Parisyan, Diego Sanchez, Joe Riggs and Sean Sherk, while also recording wins such as a Kimura over Josh Neer and a knockout of Gleison Tibau. He then broadened his career overseas and on the regional scene, fighting in Pride – where his bout with Takanori Gomi in 2007 was ruled a no contest – and in EliteXC, where a doctor stoppage handed him a loss to KJ Noons.

The Strikeforce run

Diaz hit his stride in Strikeforce, stringing together one of the best runs of his career. He stopped MMA pioneer Frank Shamrock in 2009, submitted Scott Smith, and avenged the earlier defeat by beating KJ Noons over five rounds in their 2010 rematch. He added a submission of veteran Hayato Sakurai, an armbar of Evangelista Santos, and a fast knockout of Paul Daley in 2011 that ranked among the most dramatic finishes of the year.

Return to the UFC and title shot

Diaz returned to the UFC and beat former champion BJ Penn by decision at UFC 137 in 2011. That earned him a welterweight title shot at UFC 143 in February 2012, where he lost a five-round decision to Carlos Condit for the interim belt. He challenged for the title again at UFC 158 in March 2013, dropping a five-round decision to champion Georges St-Pierre. His 2015 bout with Anderson Silva was later overturned to a no contest, and after a long layoff he closed his career with a 2021 stoppage loss to Robbie Lawler in their rematch.

Fighting style

Diaz is defined by relentless, high-output boxing and a constantly pressing pace, backed by elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu that makes him dangerous in scrambles and off his back. His record reflects that finishing instinct: 13 of his wins came by knockout and eight by submission, with only five going to decision. He breaks opponents down with volume, body work and a famously durable chin, and his cardio over long fights is a defining strength. The trade-off is a defensively open, come-forward style that has cost him on the scorecards against the division's most disciplined champions.

Career highlights

• Strikeforce Welterweight title run — a stretch of finishes over Frank Shamrock, Paul Daley and others that established him as one of the best 170-pounders outside the UFC.
• Two UFC title challenges — fought for the welterweight championship against Carlos Condit and again versus Georges St-Pierre in marquee main events.
• Knockout of Robbie Lawler — stopped Lawler at UFC 47 in 2004, the opening chapter of a rivalry the two revisited 17 years later.