Jun 11, 2021

  • Marc RaimondiESPN Staff Writer

The private jet taxied into its hangar in Phoenix on Dominicus, shortly after five p.m. local time. Information technology carried passengers who had boarded a couple of hours before in Stockton, California. Simply they've been on a long, strange trip for years.

Nate Diaz arrived for UFC 263 with friends who recall when he would show up in a bullet-riddled Honda or riding in a friend'south '95 Chrysler Sebring. The mode of transportation is different these days, but Diaz is essentially the same -- the rare superstar who'southward been able to maintain an actuality that keeps the bail of this team tight.

Diaz, 36, started in Brazilian jiu-jitsu when he was well-nigh 14, partly because he knew the gym would provide hot meals later sessions. Under the tutelage of the renowned Cesar Gracie, and following in the footsteps of his brother Nick Diaz, Nate evolved into a BJJ black belt, and he would get known for creative submissions and a trademark strike symbolic of his antagonistic upbringing: the Stockton Slap. His success in the Octagon, including winning The Ultimate Fighter v in 2007, and his lack of pretense endeared him to a big and loyal fan base. Now he'due south one of the most popular fighters in the earth, rubbing elbows with celebrities such equally Leonardo DiCaprio and Mail service Malone.

On Saturday, he fights Leon Edwards in a pivotal v-round welterweight bout at UFC 263 in Glendale, Arizona. Information technology isn't the main event or fifty-fifty the co-primary, merely Diaz-Edwards is arguably the most predictable contest on a stacked pay-per-view card that features two championship bouts. The winner could get a shot at welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

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As Diaz stepped off the airplane, he was surrounded by teammates and friends who know the UFC superstar on a different level than his public-facing persona as the mean-mugging, weed-smoking little blood brother of Nick. They know the guy with the great sense of humor, who was a practiced sport when a "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" skit backfired on him. They know the loyal friend who once filled the fridge of a buddy who was downwardly on his luck. And they remember the guy who knew when it was fourth dimension to take over. These are their stories.

[Editor's note: Some content was edited for brevity and clarity.]

The early days

'My first fourth dimension seeing Nate fight'

Nick McDermott is one of Diaz's oldest and closest friends, and he is currently his photographer.

He was getting into fights a lot as a child. If anybody had anything to say, he'd be similar, "Well, let's fight."

In that location was one time at the baseball game field in Morada. Some older kid and Nate were talking south--- to each other. Nate was probably like xi or 12 years onetime. The guy was with a bunch of people.

Nate got all his friends together and was like, "This guy is talking s---." They all went over there, and this kid and Nate fought for like a half-hour. This kid was similar three or 4 years older than Nate, merely it was a pretty crazy fight. That was my get-go time seeing Nate fight. I'd say Nate won, just information technology was a long, crazy fight.

'These guys were actually poor'

Cesar Gracie is a legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainer and was Diaz's kickoff martial arts autobus.

He started with me when he was nearly fourteen. I think Nick was 16. These guys were really poor. Nate didn't accept money to go grab food or anything. He started grooming in jiu-jitsu really because afterwards nosotros would train, nosotros'd all go become something to eat. We'd become buy nutrient -- tacos or something. It was pretty cheap. The taco trucks were pretty common in Stockton.

It was a style to go, "Well, I'm hungry, and if all I take to practise is go exercise jiu-jitsu and box, everybody is going to swallow? Great."

'At that place was claret all over the automobile'

Rudy Hernandez is a childhood friend of Diaz's and a longtime preparation partner.

We were hanging out in Charter Way, which wasn't too nice of a neighborhood in Stockton. We got into an atmospherics, and one of our friends got shot in the arm.

Everyone took off. We threw our friend in the car and nosotros're driving to the hospital. It was me, Nathan and our friend. It was merely crazy. There was blood all over the auto, but he made it.

Nathan was calm. I remember he'southward seen a lot growing upwards. He doesn't talk well-nigh it.

'We were kind of the comic relief'

Gilbert Melendez is a former Strikeforce lightweight champion, a UFC veteran and longtime Diaz preparation partner. He recalls grappling sessions under the watchful eyes of quondam Strikeforce champion Jake Shields, who coached Melendez, and Nick Diaz.

My start encounters with Nate were grappling on the mat with him. They were very silent and quiet sessions, and nosotros just followed the direction of our coaches.

As it went on, we really continued because we had a lot of fun and would laugh, and we were merely similar. We enjoyed the ride.

I don't think our goals were to be the toughest in the globe at the time. We were kind of the comic relief with Jake and Nick beingness so damn serious. That'south how Nate is. He's a big leader, he's a big captain. But he besides just keeps everyone really connected. He lights upwards a room when he comes in. Not just because of who he is or what he'due south done, but fifty-fifty before that. He just had that with his boys and his team. Until this day, he keeps true to that.

The evolution

'The Stockton Slap is real, bro'

Andre Ward is a retired boxing champion and current ESPN boxing analyst who started training with Diaz around 2010.

I worked with him for years during my professional person boxing career, especially when I fought a lefty. He provided some of the almost hard work I've had as a professional. He'southward left-handed, and I don't normally accept bug with left-handers, merely Nate is bad-mannered. He throws a lot of punches from awkward angles.

And the Stockton Slap is real, bro. Information technology'south not like it hurts. It's just disrespectful. Like, y'all really hit me with that? And then boom, boom. He hits you with more than shots. It's more book than it is power.

And he doesn't become tired. He can take it, he can dish it out. I had to bring my A-game every time.

'They didn't realize he was gone'

Joe Lauzon is a UFC veteran and former castmate with Diaz on The Ultimate Fighter 5.

He manifestly doesn't honey doing media, but he has gotten amend. I remember when we had to do the UFC photograph shoots for The Ultimate Fighter. The UFC used to be horrible almost photos. Now they have like xv minutes from when you show upwardly to when you leave. But it used to have similar two hours, if you lot were lucky.

Nate was correct before me and was sick of waiting. So he left and ran like 6 miles back to the hotel in Las Vegas. They didn't realize he was gone for a while and had to track him downwards, and he made them send another auto to go and pick him up. I was dying laughing and knew exactly how he felt.

'He tossed me around like a rag doll'

Maynard James Keenan is a multiple-Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known equally the pb singer of Tool. He'south also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt.

I've rolled Brazilian jiu-jitsu with Nate a little bit. Well, he rolled on me. He tossed me effectually like a rag doll. Nosotros did what resembled rolling.

When you lot're rolling with somebody like Nate Diaz -- and I would imagine someone like Demian Maia -- it's a whole dissimilar level of agreement of the fine art. I could go into geeky specific stuff, but actually just watching the transitions. Yous have to learn them and experience them.

It was quite the "Holy s---, I take so much to learn." Nate didn't have to submit me. You can see, whatever adjustment he merely made in that location's five submissions from right there and he didn't even carp taking them. Information technology was simply staring us all in the face and it was similar, "Oh god."

'Turn off the clock'

Daniel Roberts is a UFC veteran and erstwhile Diaz training partner.

I was staying in his guesthouse for a few weeks, there to help him before his fight with Benson Henderson in 2012. I'm a pretty good grappler also. So we were kind of going, and it was a stalemate. He was like, "Who is this guy?" Then he was similar, "Plow off the clock." And eventually he passed my guard. He has crazy endurance. That was funny. No clock. I was like, "Oh homo."

And he eats really healthy. It was later the fight; I went to McDonald'due south. Nick came over and was similar, "Whose McDonald's is that?" It was such a shock. Like I merely committed a law-breaking or something. "Who'due south eating this crap?" I think I got a Gatorade, similar Gatorade is good for you. They were like, "Who got a Gatorade?" I thought I was doing practiced. Nate eats a lot of gluten-free stuff. Very clean. Organic. I could gustation the difference too, and I felt the difference when I was out at that place.

'Everyone needs a friend like Nathan Diaz'

Hernandez recalls a time Diaz displayed the depth of his friendship.

I got run over by a motorcar in Las Vegas in 2012. I've got a titanium bar in my leg, and I'm over hither thinking I wasn't going to walk once again. I had to go to surgery considering information technology was a compound fracture of my correct femur. I was in the infirmary for a few days.

Nathan pops up. I didn't tell him; he found out. He took the next flight out, and he brought me a whole bunch of vitamins from Whole Foods. He was like, "Don't accept that s---. Don't take the pain pills. Accept this, because this does this. If yous're feeling some type of way, hitting some weed or something." He brought me a whole agglomeration of all-natural herbs, like healing stuff.

It was good to come across him. Everyone needs a friend like Nathan Diaz -- everybody. I was struggling, working part fourth dimension and paying rent in a Vegas apartment around that same twelvemonth. He could have got his own hotel room, but he stayed with me. He wanted to meet what's upwards, run into how I was doing.

"He's a big leader, he's a large captain. But he too just keeps everyone really continued. He lights up a room when he comes in. Not just because of who he is or what he'southward done, but even before that. He just had that with his boys and his team. Until this twenty-four hours, he keeps true to that."

Gilbert Melendez

He saw my refrigerator was empty. He went to Smith'south and bought groceries. I thought, "Oh, he's simply going to chill all week." And and so he left the next day. I was like, "Y'all tin can accept them." He was like, "Domestic dog, don't trip. Information technology'southward all good." Just taking care of me. He own't gotta tell yous, he's just gonna show you.

'Nate will set you up like that'

Gracie recalls the solar day Diaz introduced one of his coaches, Steve Heath, to Kron Gracie, Cesar's cousin and a UFC fighter and BJJ standout.

Nate knew what was going to happen, which was the funny part.

Kron had never met Steve in his life, and Steve is like, "Y'all Gracies, you guys are overrated." Kron is like, "Who the hell is this guy?" Steve is like, "Yous've got that choke from the back, the rear-naked choke. You think it works. I bet y'all I tin get out of information technology."

Kron is an accomplished grappler. He grabs Steve and he puts him in the asphyxiate and goes, "OK, on iii. One, two ..."

Steve had a Taser on him, and he tased Kron's leg. Nate is on the side, laughing. Kron lets go of the choke and starts chasing Steve effectually the gym. They're going back and forth like a sketch comedy prove. Nate will prepare you up similar that.

'Y'all guys have to purchase some new belts'

Mikey Singh Hothi is a fellow member of the Lodi, California, city council, a pupil of Nate Diaz's and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brownish belt.

Our Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym at Nick Diaz Academy is notorious for belts and how challenging it is to get one. A lot of people from other gyms were transferring over to ours because plainly they wanted to train with Nate and Nick. And so we'd have a bunch of these blue belts from lesser gyms coming through, and nosotros were kind of notorious for demoting them.

At that place were three of united states white belts on the mat, and at that place were three blueish belts from different gyms that were in that location. He had a white chugalug roll with each of the blue belts from the other gyms. And every single blue belt got tapped out by a white chugalug.

Afterwards, he had everybody line up and he said, "OK, everybody take off your belts." We all put our belts on the ground. I was like, "Oh my god, this is the moment I'chiliad going to get my blue belt." I was actually excited. He came over and picked upward the three white belts that were on the ground and he gave them to the blue belts, like, "OK, you guys take gotta wear these now."

And he picked upward the three blue belts on the footing, looked at united states of america and was similar, "You lot guys have to purchase some new [white] belts" and merely walked off the mat.

The turning point

'He figured it out'

play

1:01

Gilbert Melendez on what makes his teammate Nate Diaz and then good

Gilbert Melendez and Dominick Cruz show just how practiced Nate Diaz is at finishing fights earlier than expected.

Randy Spence is Diaz's motorbus, longtime grooming partner and friend.

Nathan was a soldier. He just did what he was told. I think in the long run it helped him out considering he got to see all the intricacies to encounter how everything worked.

Then when it was fourth dimension for him to come out of his shell and make his motility, he was a fiddling ahead of the game. When the time was correct for him, he was similar: I can't be a soldier, it's time for me to be the boss.

He fabricated that move right around the Rafael dos Anjos fight in Arizona on Dec. 13, 2014. He's down to fight dos Anjos, just the circumstances weren't great [Diaz lost by unanimous conclusion]. He was kind of hurt, and he was like, "I'm going to fight one of the best guys in the world and I'1000 non really getting paid." I recollect that was a blessing in disguise. I would say that's when he actually took his own reins and kind of ran with it. And he figured it out.

When we went to fight Michael Johnson a year subsequently, I know it sounds cliché, merely he scripted everything that was going to happen. He knew what he was going to do. He knew he was going to win. He knew when he won, he was going to call out Conor McGregor in a way that couldn't be denied. That was cool to see him make a mission and make information technology happen. If something could personify Nathan outside the Octagon, it was that week.

Nick wasn't fighting every bit much anymore, and Jake wasn't fighting as much anymore. It was kind of similar a turning of the baby-sit. It was like: I sat back and waited and let them run their form. He kind of internalized information technology like: Information technology's my turn to go out and do what I can practise. Nobody ever held him dorsum. He just knew it was wide open for him.

The McGregor fights

'Nate has them eating out of his hand'

Dave Sholler is the erstwhile UFC vice president of public relations, athlete marketing and development, and he's the electric current executive vice president of communications for the Philadelphia 76ers. He remembers the start news conference for the Diaz-McGregor fight in March 2016. It happened in UFC Gym in Torrance, California, and it came together on short notice after Diaz accepted the fight to replace an injured dos Anjos.

What always struck me almost Nate Diaz was, some guys in the fight game are actually good at hamming it up and knowing when the carmine light on the photographic camera is on. You lot get 100 percent authentic Nate Diaz all the time.

I think there was one particular question somebody asked about the payday he was going to get from the pay-per-view, like, "What are you going to practise with this career-high payday?" Nate was like, "I don't know, probably just going to purchase a lot of s---." I don't think people realize Nate is actually really funny. And some of his natural commitment is organically funny, but when he wants to turn on the comedic factor, he knows how to practise information technology too.

When y'all're in the business of sports and entertainment, y'all tin can feel in the moment when something is gilded. I looked out into UFC Gym and I saw all these fans who showed up on curt discover, and Nate had them eating out of his hand. Conor was doing the same affair.

And then comes the stare-downwardly. It's one of the coolest stare-downs I've always been a part of. You have these two guys who are clogged of emotion, at that place'due south clearly animosity. Information technology's a packed house, two crews coming together -- Ireland versus Stockton, California. I remember thinking, "If something goes down hither, this is going to be not merely 1 of the craziest things to happen in UFC history, merely I'thou not certain nosotros're going to exist able to regain control."

'I'k getting expiry threats from fans'

Jon Anik is the head UFC play-past-play announcer and was the No. 2 broadcaster in that function earlier Diaz'due south UFC 196 fight with McGregor in March 2016. Anik recalls the mayhem created when he talked on his podcast before that fight nigh getting a 209 tattoo every bit an homage to the Diaz brothers, whose hometown of Stockton has a 209 expanse code.

I said on the podcast that if Nate Diaz tin can beat Conor McGregor with side by side to no real preparation, I'1000 going to get this 209 tattoo. And so I said on the show, I might go it anyhow just out of respect for what these guys meant to martial arts.

I did non wait that this would spread like wildfire. I certainly did non expect that this would register on Nate Diaz's radar during the pay-per-view calendar week. What began equally a fun podcast bit got interpreted as a hard prediction by the backup play-by-play guy confronting Nate Diaz.

I'm sitting at home and he says at the postfight press briefing, "Jon Anik better become a motherf---ing 209 tattoo or I'm going to whoop his little ass." I'k getting death threats from fans. Like, "If you don't get that f---ing tattoo, I'm going to come there and give information technology to you myself."

Candidly, once information technology drew Nate's ire to whatever degree, I was getting the tattoo, win or lose. So it obviously made for a better story that he won the fight. The tattoo on my left arm was inked v days later.

I retrieve a few months later seeing him for the first time since I got the tattoo, and he asked to see it. I think information technology was a quick burial of the hatchet. He understood that ultimately this was not me taking a shot at him. He couldn't accept been more than warm and cordial about the whole thing when he easily could take taken information technology personally.

'Maybe Hollywood Boulevard Superman is going to go slugged'

Sal Iacono is a writer and personality on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" who's known best as Cousin Sal.

We have a bit where we interview people on the street and go them to say bad things virtually somebody, and then that somebody is correct at that place to tap them on the shoulder. Normally they plough effectually and they're like, "Uh-oh, pitiful, I didn't mean it" or, "I didn't say annihilation." Merely we have information technology on tape and nosotros run it back.

When we did it with Nate before his second fight with Conor McGregor in 2016, information technology was crazy. We kind of cold-called and got people from gyms and local MMA academies. Nosotros had people come up downwardly to Hollywood Boulevard. So we had a lot of gym rats out there with a lot of bravado. A lot of talking trash against Nate. And then Nate, perfect to the bit, comes up from backside and taps the guy on the shoulder. And they kept going -- similar idiots. Like, "Yeah, I said that, and I mean it. Yeah, I said you were gonna go your donkey kicked. Yous won't become out of the first circular." I'thou like, "What the hell is going on here?" If Nate tapped me on the shoulder, I'd run straight into traffic and promise I got hitting by a jitney bout bus right there on Hollywood Boulevard. These people are standing up to him even more.

He was a good sport on the first 1, and then the second one, he's like, "Hey, what's going on hither?" And and then by the third one, information technology's similar, "I'k not going to keep doing this all 24-hour interval unless I go to hit them." Then it turned on me. I'1000 the prankster of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" I remember for a skillful thirty minutes explaining, "Dude, no. I'g sorry. I take no idea why this is going the way it is." I didn't know who he was going to take it out on. I was like, maybe Hollywood Boulevard Superman is going to go slugged in the jaw.

I felt bad for Nate because he didn't know what to do. His natural instinct with someone calling him out is to just elbow the guy in the jaw then be done with information technology. He was smart enough to realize that wasn't the way to become in this situation. For a infinitesimal, he thought we put them up to it. "Kimmel Alive!" doing a prank show and he maybe thought he was double-crossed. So now I'grand the guy in danger, trying to explicate to him, "No, no, no, these are a bunch of a--holes. I don't know why they seem to exist so brave in this situation." I never, ever thought that would be the outcome for the bit.

'Allow'due south start the show'

Chris Avila is a former UFC fighter and a Diaz protégé.

I remember going to the UFC 202 press conference, and Nate was on time. They were saying Conor is late. Nate was similar, "I don't care, allow's get-go the show." Dana White was similar, "Nosotros've gotta start; it doesn't affair who's tardily." The press conference started, and Nate is fine with information technology. Conor is trying to pull one of Nick or Nate's moves [by being late], manifestly. Nate is doing the conference, and Conor walks in.

And so I come across Nate start getting upward. Conor sat down like, "Oh, I'm here." Right when Conor sits down, he starts trying to act all cool and funny, similar he was the show. I saw Nate get up and start walking out, like, "F--- this southward---." He started walking out and made Conor feel stupid.

Nate had a water bottle at i point, and I think he threw it at McGregor teammate Dillon Danis and hit Danis. They threw a bottle back at us. So someone else threw a bottle, then they threw some other bottle. There were just water bottles all around for some reason.

Moving the needle

'The nicest guy always'

Travis Barker is the drummer for the punk stone band Blink-182 and a longtime MMA fan.

I filmed a video with TrippyThaKid and Lil Wayne, and Nate just happened to exist in L.A. He just hung out and was in the video. Didn't demand whatever special care, didn't enquire for annihilation.

Those are my favorite people. You're not the loudest people in the room. Only a great hang.

It would exist so dissimilar if I didn't know Nate, because I'd merely be similar, "I bet that guy has a chip on his shoulder." He's just so misunderstood. I think the blue-chip motherf---ers are like that, though. They're not gonna talk a lot or be out of control or be aggressive. Non until you button their buttons or you do something out of pocket do you witness that. He'south the archetype example of that. Seriously, the nicest guy ever. The sweetest guy.

'I got the president coming downwards here'

Spence recalls the time President Donald Trump attended UFC 244: Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz at Madison Foursquare Garden.

Information technology was the beginning time the president of the United States always came to a UFC fight. Nathan was like, "I got the president coming downwards hither; this is a large deal." Nathan was stoked on information technology.

We had to take the long style to the loonshit because they had to block off some blocks for the president. To not make united states look, they wanted him at that place at 3 o'clock. Nathan doesn't operate that mode. He was similar, "Nah." He wouldn't have fought until midnight. Information technology wasn't worth it, so nosotros just hoofed information technology. Nosotros got a big police force escort. We walked about 3 blocks to the arena. He stopped and talked to everybody on his way in.

When we got at that place, we were about to go to our dressing room, merely that's when the president was arriving. And so we had to wait in the hallway for almost 40 minutes to wait for the president to walk through. I don't know what his political beliefs are and all that, but the president basically came to sentinel Nathan fight. That's pretty cool.