They say that real recognize real, and if that is the case, then Nate Diaz certainly recognized the real upset that Julianna Peña got at UFC 269.
In what is being considered arguably the biggest upset in MMA history, Peña was able to submit who many consider the greatest female fighter of all time by tapping Amanda Nunes out in the second round of their bantamweight title contest.
Following this victory, while speaking to Joe Rogan in her post-fight interview inside the Octagon, the newly crowned champion said that she was not surprised, quoting the famous interview that the younger Diaz brother gave when he submitted Conor McGregor on short notice.
It seems That Nate Diaz caught wind of this homage and decided to pay his respects back. Posting to Twitter, Stockton’s own praised Peña for being able to score this massive upset victory, while displaying both of their interviews side by side, noting the similarities between the two situations.
“When you know you know…Congratulations to @VenezuelanVixen #beast ?” Diaz wrote.
Nate Diaz is correct in noting that Julianna Peña was a beast in her title-winning fight against the highly revered Amanda Nunes. That being said, the biggest difference between her win and his is that while he took his fight on super short notice against a McGregor who was fresh off of a title victory at featherweight, she dethroned a long-standing champion who has been dominating two weight divisions for years.
Nevertheless, it is great to see Diaz showing Peña some respect in return for the tip of the cap that she gave in his direction. The only thing that is certain in the sport of mixed martial arts is that absolutely nothing is certain, and it is hard to deny that they are both proof of that.
