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Nate Diaz ultimately came up short at UFC 263, after he suffered a unanimous decision loss against Leon Edwards. Diaz would lose all but one round, with Edwards showing too much versatility for him to handle until the final minute.
However, whilst Diaz left the event with another loss on his record, there are still undeniable positives that fans of the Stockton brawler can take from his performance. In the following list we will go over three aspects of Diaz's fight with Edwards that show he still has more to offer in terms of his UFC career.
#3 Nate Diaz is still as durable as ever
When mixed martial artists fight in the style that Nate Diaz does, they typically have an expiry date on how long their chin will hold out. We have seen fan favorite brawlers time and time again succumb to the brutal punishment that comes their way every time they enter the UFC octagon. Diego Sanchez is a particularly notable example.
However, at the age of 36, Diaz was able to go the full five rounds with one of the world's top four welterweights. Throughout the fight, Edwards threw 77 significant strikes. It is notable that despite having the reputation of a somewhat boring fighter, Edwards had one of the fastest KO's in UFC history when he knocked out Seth Baczynski after only eight seconds.
Diaz absorbed all 77 strikes Edwards threw at him, never once getting knocked down or seriously hurt.
#2 Triathalon cardio is paying off
Another staple aspect of Diaz's game is his seemingly endless cardio. However, just as is the case with durability, cardio is often something we see deteriorate as fighters get older.
Nate Diaz is clearly an anomaly to this norm. Diaz looked just as sharp in the last round as he did in the first, if not sharper. This was despite an onslaught of leg kicks, wrestling exchanges and high-tempo boxing that Edwards forced on him throughout the fight.
Looks like those triathlons are paying off...
#1 Nate Diaz can still throw hands
Leon Edwards' impressiveness in the first four rounds is certainly notable, but the key takeaway most fans have from the fight was just how close Nate Diaz came to finishing his opponent in the final round.
Despite the fight already looking essentially over, Diaz hit Edwards with a slick combination of strikes in the final minute of the fight. Edwards looked out on his feet and may well have been finished had there been more time left on the clock.
Nate Diaz ultimately lost the fight, but he proved that he's still very much a top competitor in the UFC.
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