Nate Diaz has been competing in the UFC since winning The Ultimate Fighter in Season Five as a lightweight when he was just 21 years old.
He has since competed across three weight divisions, fought for the lightweight world title and amassed 14 victories inside the UFC.
These accomplishments have been overshadowed by a single win over an Irishman fighting up two weight classes in Conor McGregor.
With the win over McGregor at UFC 196, and a rematch now booked for UFC 202, Diaz has the chance to become the company’s next big star.
Diaz has always been far from the most conventional guy and has refrained from being anything other than the rawest version of himself.
Diaz represents his trainers Cesar Gracie and Richard Perez, his teammates and his hometown of Stockton above all else.
He has often skipped promotional duties, interviews, media obligations, and has been involved in fights out of the cage. Despite all of this he has become a fan favourite. Diaz holds the UFC record for post-fight bonus awards, a testament to his fan friendly, relentless style.
Fan favourite does not translate into bankable star though. With the UFC in need of new stars with real drawing power, Nate Diaz seems willing to fill that void and said a second win over McGregor could prove he has taken over.
With Diaz now receiving more exposure from two McGregor fights than his entire career, it’s possible to see him become a breakout star now. Sure he has taken some losses and been soundly beaten by the lightweight elite, but his big brother Nick is a huge star for the company despite never playing the UFC game and recording very few impressive wins.
The new welterweight champion Tyron Woodley called Nick Diaz out just this week. He did so because it’s a big money fight, and is despite the fact Nick has dropped his last three fights and his most recent win was a decision of now featherweight BJ Penn.
UFC president Dana White previously stated that Nate Diaz doesn’t move the needle when referring to ratings and Pay Per View (PPV) numbers. He was correct, but that’s changing.
Diaz has headlined and co-headlined many UFC shows on Fox and PPV, and always drawn respectable numbers, though has never been the main draw on a huge show – until now.
Should Nate Diaz win the McGregor rematch at UFC 202, the UFC would be wise to give him a big promotional push and begin marketing him as a genuine star.
Diaz could also jump to the front of the line in the lightweight division and make a very interesting and winnable fight against new champion Eddie Alvarez.
Alvarez has already called for the winner of this fight and previously called out Diaz over a backstage run-in after he fought Nate’s teammate Gilbert Melendez.
Nate Diaz as a UFC champion would surely become big business and finally turn him into one of the sport’s biggest attractions.
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