Nick Diaz believes football players who transition into MMA outperform “one-dimensional wrestlers.”
Diaz may be making his way back to the Octagon after being cleared by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Diaz accepted a one-year sanction following three Whereabouts Failures and can now compete should he sign a bout agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
It’s no secret that Diaz has been outspoken about wrestlers. It was wrestling that doomed Diaz in his UFC welterweight title bout against Georges St-Pierre. He still believes having a wrestling game won’t solve the problems of all fighters.
Speaking to TMZ, Diaz said even football players find more success in MMA (via Bloody Elbow):
“You know what, football players, they actually do best in MMA. A lot of times, you get a lot of wrestlers, and they get into the whole thing, and they’re very one-dimensional. They develop a lot of bad habits.”
There are quite a few former football players who have transitioned to MMA. Matt Mitrione was a defensive tackle in the NFL. He’ll be taking on the winner of Ryan Bader vs. Muhammed Lawal in a semi-finals match in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix.
Diaz hasn’t competed since Jan. 2015. He initially lost to Anderson Silva via unanimous decision. The result was changed to a No Contest when Silva popped for banned substances. Diaz wasn’t in the clear either as he was flagged for marijuana. After a lengthy battle with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Diaz eventually reached an agreement that saw him avoid a five-year suspension.
Do you think Nick Diaz has a point with football players outperforming wrestlers?
