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Nick Diaz: A Lesson in
Confidence By Phil Lanides
 Self-confidence
is a huge part of being a professional athlete, no matter the sport.
Yet, no sport showcases the element of self-dependence more than
mixed martial arts. A team helps the gladiator prepare for battle,
but once that cage door shuts, it’s just the individual and his or
her foe. No fighter exemplifies this in quite the same way as
STRIKEFORCE Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz.
Diaz takes his fights very seriously, and very personally. When
another competitor agrees to fight him, he takes it as a personal
attack. This approach has made for some extraordinary grudge
matches, and has drawn attention from all corners of the fight world
as a result. Now, the champ has another bitter challenge in front of
him, and it’s being brought by the last man to defeat him: KJ Noons.
We sat down with Diaz recently to discuss a variety of subjects. His
candid answers shed some insight into what the champ is made of.
How’s your training coming along for your fight with KJ Noons?
Training’s going great, doing what I always do. I’ll be ready.
It’s been three years since your first bout with him. Has this been
a rematch you’ve wanted all along?
I’ve been trying to get a rematch with that guy, and he didn’t want
to do it. Now he’s going to do, and I’m very happy to get back in
the cage with him.
After your next fight, who do you want to fight?
I will fight whoever they put in front of me is who I’m going to
fight. It’s not my job to choose who I fight. Obviously, I’d love to
fight the champ from other organizations, like Georges St-Pierre or
Anderson Silva. But realistically, it’s going to be whoever is
placed in front of me.
What’s your ultimate goal in the sport?
To the best out there and see how far I can take myself in this
sport.
What has been your toughest fight so far?
Probably the one fight I felt I actually lost, and that was my first
fight with Jeremy Jackson. I actually got beat in that fight, and I
haven’t really felt I’ve been [physically] beaten since.
What are your thoughts on former WWE star Dave Batista? Does he have
a chance at being a legit fighter?
He’s a really cool guy, and it’d be great to have him training with
us since he takes it seriously, and puts his time in. As far as how
good he can be, that’s up to him. But he seems like a good,
hard-working guy.
We must ask about Jason “Mayhem” Miller. You’ve talked about him
moving down to 170 lbs. He says he can’t make that weight. What are
your thoughts on a catchweight bout with him? Yeah, if that’s what
STRIKEFORCE wants, I’ll fight him at a catchweight. That guy thinks
I’m afraid of fighting him, but I’m more than happy to beat him down
and send him on his way. He can keep being goofy, keep doing his TV
show, and I’ll keep fighting.
You're fighting KJ Noons next. The fight will take place on October
9th in San Jose, California, and will be shown on SHOWTIME®. Will
you approach your strategy differently than you did in the first
fight?
I’m not going to talk about strategy, but I can say that there will
be a different outcome this time. For sure.
What is your prediction for the fight?
I don’t do predictions, but I see me winning. I see me beating him
standing up, on the ground, wherever the fight may go. I will win.
Regardless of who comes out on top between these two, the true
winners of this feud will be the fans, as the first Diaz-Noons bout
set the MMA world on its ear. The rematch has the potential to do
the same and more
For more from Phil Lanides go to
http://www.examiner.com/mma-in-san-jose/phil-lanides |
