Nate Diaz is a steal vs Dustin Poirier @ UFC 230

Diaz looked pretty good against MJ and that was a long layoff as well.

Nate's gonna wreck Porier if this fight happens.
Yeah, I hope he takes this fight serious and comes in looking like that again. Poirier will be in for a long night then!
 
Dustin via being more well-rounded.

Fun fact? Prior to the first Eddie bout, Dustin was almost exclusively the underdog in every UFC fight. It's like I was the only person on the planet that recognised how well rounded he is. He's no Conor or Khabib in that he has one highly elite area of expertise, but he's a solid 8/10 everywhere.

Diaz is far more lopsided with his strengths. 9/10 boxing and BJJ, 5/10 wrestling and kicking.

If you think Dustin isn't going to unload his underappreciated leg kicks and hit TDs, then you don't appreciate your money.
 
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Who’s ready to make some $$ on Nate?
I haven’t gambled on any sports since last NFL season ended but this fight is gonna make me come out of gambler’s retirement.
Absolutely zero reason for Dustin to be -210, other than Nate coming off a 2 year layoff.

Why are people hyping Dustin so much right now? Just because he TKO’d the two kings of CTE, Alvarez and Gaejthe?
Remind yourselves that Alvarez and Gaejthe beat whatever was left of each other’s chin before Dustin faced them.

Dustin got slept by the last solid boxer he faced in Michael Johnson. Plus Dustin will be at the height/reach disadvantage this time vs Nate.

Nate might take a round to warm up, but he will take over and dominate come round 2. Either a TKO win for Diaz or a clear cut 29-28 UD.
The second I heard of this match up I thought it was the perfect comeback fight for Diaz. Dustin is on a roll but I could easily see Diaz working him. Dustin is chinny and will have a disadvantage in reach and he hasn't shown the kind of kicking game that could really give Diaz trouble, he tends to throw hands more than anything which Diaz has no problem with facing. On the ground Dustin is crafty but Diaz will have the advantage there as well.
 
Walter White Jr sucks so it's never safe to bet on him in any scenario.
 
The second I heard of this match up I thought it was the perfect comeback fight for Diaz. Dustin is on a roll but I could easily see Diaz working him. Dustin is chinny and will have a disadvantage in reach and he hasn't shown the kind of kicking game that could really give Diaz trouble, he tends to throw hands more than anything which Diaz has no problem with facing. On the ground Dustin is crafty but Diaz will have the advantage there as well.

I feel Dustin has to have confidence in his grappling game and integrate takedowns throughout the fight. Bendo and Josh Thomson are two guys who seamlessly integrated takedowns into the fight and it helped to establish their dominance in the matchup because it enabled them to work Nate in the standup as well.

Most fighters who get the better of Nate in the grappling tend to still have issues with him during the few interludes on the feet, but Thomson and Bendo doled out damage both on the ground and in the striking. They utilized their full range of skills.

Poirier is a guy who is also well-rounded but a big question mark is whether he will use his offensive grappling. If he opts not to initiate takedowns out of respect to Nate's guard, it could be a problematic fight for him because Nate has a nasty chin, good hands, and ridiculous cardio. Poirier can go at an insane pace for a long fight too, but the Diazes have the ability to take fighters into the deep waters and start to break them down with cumulative damage.

But if Poirier gets Nate's attention with the takedowns and ground and pound, he will also be able to land big shots on Nate standing because it will make him more unpredictable.
 
No it's not. This is three rounds, homie, and Diaz hasn't made 155 in years and has gotten way bigger than his TUF days. In a five round, I may agree, but Nate does not have KO power and only has to surrender 1 1/2 round. People forget that Johnson fight was very close, and Johnson fades and quits harder than about any fighter on the roster.
 
Dustin is legit and Nate hasn't fought in awhile and has some glaring weaknesses in his game, but I'm not convinced Dustin can exploit them. It's Diaz's fight to lose in my opinion, but I'm not totally counting Dustin out.

It's a great matchup though, and a perfect test for Nate coming off a layoff. It'll be a lot of fun while it lasts.
 
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