‘This guy is crazy’ – Nate Diaz names toughest opponent and it’s not Jake Paul or Conor McGregor
Nate Diaz has duked it out with the best of the best.
During an illustrious MMA career stretching back to 2004, which includes a remarkable 21 fights under the UFC banner, Diaz has tested his resolve against the likes of Conor McGregor, Jorge Masvidal, Rafael Dos Anjos, and Rory McDonald.
In 2022, after defeating Tony Ferguson in a makeshift fight at UFC 279, Diaz opted not to re-sign with MMA's premier promotion in order to pursue other opportunities as a free agent.
Those other opportunities came in the form of two lucrative professional boxing bouts.
His first outing in the squared circle was against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, whom he was dropped by in the fifth round en route to a unanimous decision loss.
Diaz then redeemed himself by avenging his UFC defeat to Masvidal in the boxing ring, five years removed from their bloody inaugural encounter.
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However, none of his aforementioned opponents in MMA or boxing were picked as his toughest ever opponent.
That distinction was reserved for rugged veteran Josh Neer.
“I always say it, but ” Diaz told Bradley Martin's Podcast.
“He’s a motherf*****. He’s my boy now, though, we’re homies.
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"But Josh Neer fought my brother and they was fighting for three rounds, hard, and Nick’s doing his thing, hitting him a lot, and I was like ‘This f****** guy is crazy.’
"And then Nick ended up finishing him in the third round though, most people Nick finished were all in the first round and maybe the second round.
“Time went by, and then he went down to 155 where I was fighting at. And I asked for a better opponent.
"I was beating people – that’s when I first got to the UFC, I beat a few people.
"And so they gave me Josh Neer, who was one of the top five guys. That’s right when I started to fight top people. And it was my hardest fight.
"I watched him fight so much, and then trained so perfect for him that everything was like – he’d throw punches, I slipped it right under it, grabbed him and everything.
"But he countered everything and it was like if you watch that fight, me versus Josh Neer, it’s a hundred miles an hour. It’s a good fight."
In the end, it was Diaz who emerged victorious over Neer via a tight split decision.
While Diaz went on to fight for the UFC lightweight title against Benson Henderson and play a part in legendary two-fight series with McGregor, Neer traded wins and losses with varying levels of opposition during two spells with Dana White's company.
Duane Ludwig, Din Thomas, and Mac Danzig were all beaten by the Iowa grappler while Mike Pyle, Justin Edwards and Court McGee proved to be too much.
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