Nathan Diaz insulted the entire sport of boxing and basketball in a single Twitter post.
Nathan Diaz dealt a blow to both boxing and basketball in a tweet over the weekend.
“Losing a boxing match is like losing a basketball game It’s not a real Fight,” he wrote with the fist emoji.
His stance may result from his background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which focuses on grappling and ground fighting. This art is arguably one of great skill, as the fighter attempts to dominate and control the opponent, forcing them into submission. Ground control enables a fighter to potentially overpower an opponent greater in size, strength, and even aggression since the technique relies heavily on leverage, grip, and position.
MMA is undoubtedly a challenging sport, but Diaz’s comment seems to imply that boxing requires little to no fight. While dominating another boxer relies solely on above-the-belt punches, MMA allows a variety of techniques. Punches, kicks, elbows, wrestling, and submissions are fair game when attempting a win. Technically, boxers have to fight with less to get the job done, which implicates that it is, in fact, a real fight. The range of weapons available to MMA fighters (e.g., elbows, knees, legs, fists, etc.) is greater. Diaz’s Tweet begs the question, Isn’t the sport that requires more with less the real sport?
Nate Diaz’s tweet might imply further frustration with MMA
Diaz’s former opponent Josh Thompson speculates that Diaz will leave the UFC for good and take up boxing gloves in the ring against YouTube star Jake Paul.
Could it be that Diaz is bitter about his fighting career with the UFC? Recent tweets demonstrate his animosity towards the promotion, citing that he is eager to fight as soon as possible. Coming up on his last fight deal with the UFC, it seems he’s hungry for a massive fight and to exit like a champ.