Do you think it's fair to comapre Nick Diaz to Mickey Ward?

[Steve-French]

Not personality wise just by there fighting careers alone. Both are/will be remembered for being tough gritty entertaining fighters that are not heavyweights. Both never rose to the very top of their sport, but hold victories and fought opponents who have.

For example Ward holds a victory over Arturo Gatti and Diaz holds victories over BJ Penn, Frank Shamrock and Robbie Lawler. Both fighters also held titles, but never the major one in their respected divisions.

Imo both were/are good fighters that were always on the cusp of greatness, but always seemed to fall just short.

Or am I out to lunch trying to compare apples and oranges due to the structure of the two different sports.

 

[Rational Poster]

No.

People cared enough about Mickey to make a movie about him.

No one outside of Sherdog cares who Nick Diaz is.

 

[SuperNerd]

Doesn't seem fair to me. Pretty sure Ward took more punches in one fight than Diaz has during his UFC run. Their toughness is not the same. Diaz is not nearly as willing to get hit.

 

[The Bard]

No one outside of Sherdog cares who Nick Diaz is.

^^^This.

 

[Andre Xiong]

...never rose to the very top of their sport, but hold victories and fought opponents who have...

yes, I like Nick Diaz and he's good but this idea of Nick being a legit top contender is a bit overplayed (not totally but a bit). Nick's best win in his entire career is BJ Penn, followed by Frank Shamrock (who came out of retirement and was 1-1 going into the Diaz fight). His other big win over a prime Gomi was overturned because of his own recklessness (which still carries on to this day--missing media stuff and failing for marijuana still)

Aside from that, Diaz has wins over the likes of Zaromskis, Sakurai, Daley, 1-1 with KJ Noons--all very good fighters but like Diaz, they themselves were short of greatness.

Long story short: Diaz is a good fighter who can manage to hang with the best but not beat them.

 

[Steve-French]

No.

People cared enough about Mickey to make a movie about him.

No one outside of Sherdog cares who Nick Diaz is.

True, but there are also a lot of people in general who don't care what MMA is. I wasn't trying to compare their popularity, just there fighting careers.

 

[TheBrownRanger]

Well, they did call Scott Smith the "Arturo Gatti of MMA"

http://www.mmamania.com/2012/3/4/2844951/strikeforces-scott-smith-comebacks-arturo-gatti-boxing-mma

 

[CarloSpcyWeiner]

Don't you dare soil Ward's name like that.

 

[Sopapo]

Nope. The Barbarian Boestsch seems closer because of how he wins fights against more skilled fighters, but he doesnt have a career to even start comparing them.

 

[giusti825]

Doesn't seem fair to me. Pretty sure Ward took more punches in one fight than Diaz has during his UFC run. Their toughness is not the same. Diaz is not nearly as willing to get hit.

But that was with those big pillow gloves. Not the same as getting hit with mma gloves and defense is trickier with smaller gloves....

 

[DarthChen731]

Mickey Ward >>>> Nick Diaz

 

[SuperNerd]

But that was with those big pillow gloves. Not the same as getting hit with mma gloves and defense is trickier with smaller gloves....

It's not an insult. I also I don't think Ward was getting hit because he thought they were pillows. Diaz is a different fighter.

 

[The Clamburglar]

But that was with those big pillow gloves. Not the same as getting hit with mma gloves and defense is trickier with smaller gloves....

Oh yeah, pillow gloves....

 

[Steve-French]

Well, they did call Scott Smith the "Arturo Gatti of MMA"

http://www.mmamania.com/2012/3/4/2844951/strikeforces-scott-smith-comebacks-arturo-gatti-boxing-mma

Didn't Dana White compare Frankie Edgar to Arturo Gatti? That's actually fair imo.

 

[djacobox372]

But that was with those big pillow gloves. Not the same as getting hit with mma gloves and defense is trickier with smaller gloves....

Have you ever been hit by an 8oz boxing glove? Obviously not if you refer to them as "pillows."

 

[JayElectra]

But that was with those big pillow gloves. Not the same as getting hit with mma gloves and defense is trickier with smaller gloves....

 

[taedium]

Micky

 

[MaDFroG]

Mikey Ward > Nick Diaz ( in popularity / achievements )

 

[StoneTheCrow]

Plaster hand wraps notwithstanding, I'd say a more accurate comparison would be to Margarito

 

[the can]

nahh a mickey mantle comparison would be better....