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<h3><a href="/go=news.detail&gid=448247" target="_blank">
GSP: Diaz is probably the best boxer in MMA
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<a href="/go=news.detail&gid=448247" ><img class="photo" src="http://img.mixedmartialarts.com/method=get&rs=40&q=75&x=8&y=88&w=310&h=165&ro=0&s=nick-diaz-07-24-2014-20-25-26-250.jpg" /></a>
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<p>Georges St-Pierre recently appeared on Chael Sonnen's new podcast where he discussed the forthcoming fight between Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz. St-Pierre commented that it was <a href="http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/448223/GSP-Silva-fight-a-mistake-for-Diaz/">a mistake for Diaz to fight Silva at middleweight</a>, but also praised Diaz for his boxing skills, saying he would beat Silva in a boxing match:</p>
"He said a lot of things. He's a very, very smart fighter. Behind his image and the character that he is, he's very smart. My game plan when I fought him was to not fall into this. If I would have fallen into it and got into a slugfest with him, it would have been his fight. I would have fought his fight and he'd probably win. He's the best at that kind of fight."
"I believe that Diaz is very good in boxing. I believe a lot of his training is pure boxing. He's probably the best boxer in mixed martial arts," St-Pierre said. "If you make the fight a boxing fight, I believe he's going to win."
I'm sorry but a good boxer uses footwork and head movement. Diaz has great hands but overall not a great boxer. This is evident in the amount of shots he eats.
I think Diaz is an above average boxer, but not the very best. His power, footwork, and explosiveness are not exceptional.
Diaz ability to withstand other people's shots is probably the best in MMA. His confidence and swagger play a huge part to his success on the feet. I think that's the same thing Anderson and McGregor have.
newtotheinterweb - I'm sorry but a good boxer uses footwork and head movement. Diaz has great hands but overall not a great boxer. This is evident in the amount of shots he eats.
Do you watch boxing? I don't mean casually or you've seen a couple fights.
He doesn't eat as much shots flush as you would think. Against, Condit he didn't really eat any shots except those slapping leg kicks which should not have counted as much. He also tends to wear people down with amazing head body combinations (Jack Slack included it at the end of his bible of striking article). Since, his opponents are so worn down by just the end of the first, it is really hard for them to throw anything with power which makes the shots they throw not really matter. He is a bit flat-footed, but MMA boxing is so bad in general, that I think he is probably one of the best boxers. He also is very technical and avoids throwing haymakers like most mma fighters do.
UK Asylum - Not sure if hes top 3, but he has an unusual style.
If Diaz footwork was 50% of his strike output, he would finish a lot of fighters though.
It is unusual and effective when he doesn't have to chase an opponent due to his lack of foot movement. I like the way he sets up his punches from body to head, head to body. His mixing up the power in his shots during combos. I might be wrong as I'm not a walking encyclopedia of mma. I don't see boxing in MMA as complex and layered as his.
newtotheinterweb - I'm sorry but a good boxer uses footwork and head movement. Diaz has great hands but overall not a great boxer. This is evident in the amount of shots he eats.
If you don't think Nick uses head movement then maybe you need to watch some of his fights in slow motion.
ccoplhk - He doesn't eat as much shots flush as you would think. Against, Condit he didn't really eat any shots except those slapping leg kicks which should not have counted as much. He also tends to wear people down with amazing head body combinations (Jack Slack included it at the end of his bible of striking article). Since, his opponents are so worn down by just the end of the first, it is really hard for them to throw anything with power which makes the shots they throw not really matter. He is a bit flat-footed, but MMA boxing is so bad in general, that I think he is probably one of the best boxers. He also is very technical and avoids throwing haymakers like most mma fighters do.
Man I've seen Nick eat absolute bombs that would KO most fighters. Daley, Cyborg, Zaromskis, Gomi all landed massive shots on his chin.
ccoplhk - He doesn't eat as much shots flush as you would think. Against, Condit he didn't really eat any shots except those slapping leg kicks which should not have counted as much. He also tends to wear people down with amazing head body combinations (Jack Slack included it at the end of his bible of striking article). Since, his opponents are so worn down by just the end of the first, it is really hard for them to throw anything with power which makes the shots they throw not really matter. He is a bit flat-footed, but MMA boxing is so bad in general, that I think he is probably one of the best boxers. He also is very technical and avoids throwing haymakers like most mma fighters do.
Man I've seen Nick eat absolute bombs that would KO most fighters. Daley, Cyborg, Zaromskis, Gomi all landed massive shots on his chin.
But I do agree with the rest of what you said.
That's why I said the as much. I almost feel like how good the Diaz brothers at boxing limits some other parts of their MMA game. Benson Henderson was able to keep Nate off-balance with leg kicks mainly because Nate had a boxing stance as a opposed to a more square thai stance (whenever Mcgregor makes fun of this, I keep thinking of Aldo one day murdering his lead leg). People say Nick is a bad wrestler. I don't think his as plain bad as people think, but rather it also has to do with his narrow stance. He stopped Sean Sherk's takedown's with a more square stance, but ate a lot of shots from someone who is not even close to the boxer he is. It's a double-edged sword, but I can't think of one person who has beaten Nick in a stand-up battle (I had Condit losing). I know he got TKOed way back in the day in one night tournament when he was like 18, but since he hit his stride no one seems to be able to beat him in a striking battle. I think it is because he has a beast chin like you said and amazing cardio that makes him almost invincible standing up, especially in MMA where a lot of people are not as good strikers as him.
newtotheinterweb - I'm sorry but a good boxer uses footwork and head movement. Diaz has great hands but overall not a great boxer. This is evident in the amount of shots he eats.
If you don't think Nick uses head movement then maybe you need to watch some of his fights in slow motion.
You really should. He's taken some shots but he doesn't take a lot of them clean. He has that long reach, arms out with his shoulders high, alot of MMA fighters wing hooks and overhand shots that bounce off his arms. If you're throwing more than likely he's throwing back at weird angles, it seems hard to really get to him. Also I dont think you could use pure boxing technique in MMA. But I don't know everything.
newtotheinterweb - I'm sorry but a good boxer uses footwork and head movement. Diaz has great hands but overall not a great boxer. This is evident in the amount of shots he eats.
If you don't think Nick uses head movement then maybe you need to watch some of his fights in slow motion.
You really should. He's taken some shots but he doesn't take a lot of them clean. He has that long reach, arms out with his shoulders high, alot of MMA fighters wing hooks and overhand shots that bounce off his arms. If you're throwing more than likely he's throwing back at weird angles, it seems hard to really get to him. Also I dont think you could use pure boxing technique in MMA. But I don't know everything.
GayGuardMooseSaucy - I think Nate actually has the better boxing of the 2. I love watching his relentless volume punching, his fight with Cerrone was a work of art.
Wait....what? Gayguard actually giving credit to a Diaz brother? No way, I don't believe it!
