Why did Nate lose so badly against Benson?

I see stiffness said:
Without doubt. I think he played it a little too safe at times, but before the drop off I thought he was one of the best MMA fighters I've ever seen. So well rounded. His gameplan against Thatch was perfectly executed (was very Conor vs. Nate -esque).
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I would agree with that, but he never had power in his hands to end a fight quickly with a kill shot, so I think that's why he was always so conservative. Even guys he was smashing like in the Jim Miller or Nate fights, he didn't even try and go for a finish, even though he was kicking the shit out of them. That tendency I think put him in too many close decisions, raising the ire of the fans.
 
binny said:
hope he will return to form in bellator, I think bellator 155 is stacked enough to the point where he could add a handsome amount on his legacy if he were to win the title and defend it a few times
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I'm kinda worried about him, he took some damage against Koreshnekov
 
Enigma87 said:
Yeah he is. And it shows Koreshkov has come a long ways since his fight with Askren. I dont think he'd be UFC champ, but I wouldnt be surprised if he could make top 5
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I'd agree with that, dude could make waves in the UFC
 
Bendo is underrated as fuck on this site.

That, and he's a stylistic nightmare for Diaz.
 
Total Immortal said:
Koreshkov is a very good fighter, and he was just WAY bigger than Bendo as well. I thought he could beat Bendo but didn't think it would have been that dominant.

Bendo is a tough sob surviving that beatdown and not quitting.
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Agree with everything in your post.
 
A better wrestler with powerful kicks is poison to Nate. See also his fight against RDA.
 
From Nate post fight:

"I didn't perform the way I wish I could have. I got a punch in the eye pretty early in the fight and things were blurry. They never came back. I was waiting for it to recover, and when it did I was going to come back strong. But it never did. Ben did great. He landed the good shot early. It was blurry. I was screwed. If I would have tried to get up with anything, or tried to aggress too hard, I think things could've gotten worse. Like I said, I was trying to wait for the eye to recover, until I could see straight. Because I knew it was coming back and I knew I was going to come back strong from it, but I never did. I ran out of time with it, and it sucks. But whatever, that's what happens."
 
Because Benson has the perfect style and game plan to beat a Diaz fighter. leg kick them to death and take them down and control them on the ground. most of Nick and Nates loses are the same always.. leg kick them so much because they don't block leg kicks, and then take them down and control.
 
Nate improved a lot during those fights, he lost to Bendo, RDA and Thompson since but made some improvements. In the Johnson fight Nate seems to avoid and check leg kicks pretty well.
 
Hardkore said:
I would agree with that, but he never had power in his hands to end a fight quickly with a kill shot, so I think that's why he was always so conservative. Even guys he was smashing like in the Jim Miller or Nate fights, he didn't even try and go for a finish, even though he was kicking the shit out of them. That tendency I think put him in too many close decisions, raising the ire of the fans.
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I just put that down to that GSP-like composure. He sticks to the gameplan no matter what, but I do agree. Sometimes you need to have faith in your skill set and believe you can finish someone. I know he did have 1 punch knockout power, but with the attacking arsenal he possessed I don't see why he couldn't put on a Joanna-like flurry to get the finish. He had cardio to burn!
 
Rubberman1 said:
Benson is so good he makes Nate Diaz look like a Bellator fighter? Don't think so. Out of all of Bensons title fights, his Nate Diaz one is his most dominant. Why?
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Your answer is in the post you quoted. Styles really do make fights. It's not just a saying.
 
Nate took a punch to the eye in the first round that had him seeing double and threw his depth perception off for the remainder of the fight. He said he was just trying to hang in there until his vision eventually returned to normal, but it never did.

It makes sense. He was losing the first round but he wasn't getting outclassed the way he was in rounds 2-5 where he really had nothing to offer and was falling over trying to react to punches to the leg. He even got dropped by a hook at one point and Bendo has no punching power. Those things were happening because he couldn't gauge the strikes that were coming at hm.
 
I know RDA beat him. But if not for Pettis I could see the matches working out where bendo was still champ.
 
Both Diaz Bros excel when they can be the bully. When they don't get their way and someone has the power and skill to stand their ground or drive them back the Diaz style doesn't work.
 
a lot of people have said it but yeah Benson is just a great style matchup for Nate, strong kicks, strong physically, great wrestling, faster than him, great fight IQ

obviously a fight between Benson and Frankie or Gil isnt gonna look the same
 
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