UFC 229 aftermath: 6 times in MMA history that brawls broke out post-fight

#4: The Noons vs. Diaz incident – 06/14/2008

Almost two years prior to the infamous ‘Nashville Brawl’, the Diaz brothers were involved in an earlier post-fight altercation, this time in the Elite XC promotion against KJ Noons – and bizarrely, Noons’ father Karl.

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Noons and Nick Diaz had met for the inaugural Elite XC 160lbs title in late 2007, and the fight had ended when Noons – who largely dominated with his striking – opened a cut on Diaz’s forehead that forced the doctor to stop the fight.

7 months later, the two men were in action on the same show – Elite XC’s Return of the King event in Honolulu, Hawaii. Diaz defeated Muhsin Corbbrey on the undercard, while the main event saw Noons defend his title against Yves Edwards.

Following that fight, Diaz entered the cage to challenge Noons for a rematch, to which Noons asked his native Hawaiian crowd for their opinion. The crowd reacted by booing Diaz loudly, and this caused Diaz to grab interviewer Bill Goldberg’s mic, and utter his now-famous quote – “Don’t be scared, homie!”

Suddenly, all hell broke loose as Noons’ father Karl suddenly lunged for Diaz, prompting his brother Nate to launch a water bottle at the elder Noons. A fracas then ensued that ended with both Diaz brothers being escorted from the cage to a chorus of boos, flipping off the crowd in the process.

The event cemented the Diaz brothers as MMA’s top villains, although Nate later claimed Karl Noons was drunk and overreacted during the incident. And video footage appeared to back him up – he had indeed only thrown the bottle after Karl lunged for Nick, contrary to the claims of the elder Noons.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Sai Krishna