Earlier this year, when talking about the possibility of a fight against former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, Stockton’s favorite son — Nick Diaz — held nothing back when it came to critiquing “The Spider’s” boxing technique.
In fact, the UFC bad boy outright said Silva should fire his boxing coach.
“I’ll tell you what, I think [Silva] should fire his trainer and hire himself a boxing trainer that teaches him how to put punches out,” said Diaz.
“I don’t talk no sh-t. I ain’t trying to talk no sh-t. Of course he’s got as many fights as he wants to have, but people saying sh-t like, ‘He should retire. He’s not going to be the same.’ I’m like, ‘Fire your coach and get somebody to train your punches.'”
While he didn’t really make any sense, Diaz continued.
“His last fight, he had punches for [Chris Weidman], but he didn’t have no punches. Know what I’m sayin’? That was the key. Putting punches out there, but [Silva] had no punches for that guy. So then he started lobbing kicks out there and you saw what happened to his leg. He didn’t have no answer for it.”
On Tuesday, Anderson Silva held a live press conference and while answering questions from members of the MMA media, “The Spider’s” boxing coach — Luis Dorea — fired back at the Stockton native.
“[Diaz] made a mistake. It’s part of promoting. He’s got a good level [of boxing], but Anderson is a lot more superior technically. Nick Diaz is strong, he comes forward — but Anderson — with his natural ability, he’s much better.”
Dorea continued, “I believe it will be a fight that has a lot of striking, but I believe [Anderson] has a lot more speed. A lot more power in his punch. Nick Diaz is always looking for the fight moving forward. We’re going to work hard using his natural abilities, his weaknesses, his strengths and with all of that, we’re going to have a great victory.”
Silva finally chimed in, warning Diaz not to talk trash about him in the build-up to their scheduled Octagon meeting in January.
“I’m very easygoing,” said the former UFC Middleweight Champion. “I’m in a radical sport. For a lot of people, it’s a violent sport, but I’m a very easygoing guy.”
Silva concluded, “I think my work has nothing to do with my personality, but I don’t like to be disrespected as a man. I think you need to have respect as an athlete and as a man. If he disrespects me, things are going to happen as they need to happen.”
Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz is scheduled for the main event for UFC 183, which will take place on January 31, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Talk about this on our official FACEBOOK page, or on our official TWITTER page. You can also talk about it in our popular FORUMS.
