Joe Rogan, a former Taekwondo competitor and longtime UFC commentator, has shared his opinion on the careers and star power of Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz. Rogan, speaking on his Joe Rogan Experience podcast, lauded their stamina and durability. He claimed that while 38-year-old Nate Diaz is great, the 40-year-old Nick Diaz is the family’s original superstar. Rogan suggested that Nick’s career accomplishments surpass his younger brother’s achievements.
Nick Diaz holds a professional MMA record of 26 wins, 10 losses, and 2 No Contests, while his younger brother Nate has a record of 21 wins and 13 losses. Rogan stated that Nick spent the peak of his MMA career in Strikeforce, before the UFC acquired the organization. He added that Nick had unparalleled cardio, excellent striking, dangerous submission skills, and relentless trash talk that helped to psychologically taunt his opponents.
Rogan praised Nick’s performances against marquee opponents such as Frank Shamrock, Takanori Gomi, Scott Smith, and Paul Daley. “I mean, Nate’s great, but Nick was the real star of the family. He just never got to the UFC while he was in this state. If he was a UFC champion while he was in this form — ’cause he was in a form during Strikeforce where he was f**king up everybody, and not just knocking them out and beating them up,” he said.
Reflecting on Nick’s second-round knockout victory against ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler in April 2004, Rogan credited him for revolutionizing MMA by prioritizing a cardio-centric approach. Nick generally refrained from hitting his opponent with full-power strikes, instead relying on a high volume of moderate-to-lower-power strikes to exhaust his opponents. Rogan believes this fundamentally changed the game in terms of elite cardio.
As a fan of the Diaz brothers, Rogan’s admiration for their unique combat prowess and determination is evident in his discussions of their careers. If Nick had joined the UFC earlier in his career, it would have been interesting to see if his star status would have only grown and how he would have fared against other top fighters. While Nick was undoubtedly a game changer in the sport, both he and Nate have left an indelible mark on the world of MMA.
