THROWBACK: Nate Diaz and The Ultimate Fighter 5

Published 06/08/2021, 2:48 PM EDT

Nate Diaz is coming back! After a long time away from the UFC ring, fans can see the enigmatic fighter in action at UFC 263. He is fighting Leon Edwards on the main card of UFC 263 this Saturday. It will be his first fight after 18 months.

Leon Edwards is ranked #3 in the official UFC rankings for the welterweight division and will provide some great competition for Diaz.

The British fighter is also undefeated in his last 9 fights, and his last loss came against the current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman 6 years ago.

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Ahead of this fight, take a look at Nate Diaz’s time on The Ultimate Fighter 5.

The fifth season’s format was the same as the previous ones. Sixteen prospective mixed martial arts fighters were secluded in a house near Las Vegas, Nevada, and trained together while participating in a single-elimination tournament. Additionally, the winner was awarded a six-figure UFC contract.

However, this season only included lightweights, and the coaches were former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B. J. Penn and Jens Pulver. Pulver picked Diaz to be a part of his team along with the late Corey Hill.

Watch this story: Nate Diazs Intense Training Routine Ahead Of UFC 263

Nate Diaz and his impressive run through the tournament

Diaz was an immediate hit in the house with his vibrant personality and hard training style. Moreover, his talent was shining throughout the season as he beat everyone in front of him.

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In one of those classic Diaz moments, he took offense to two Team Penn fighters running around the house wearing thongs and fought one of them. He won the fight via submission.

Diaz then proceeded to submit his teammate Corey Hill in the first round to book a semi-final shot against Gray Maynard. However, nothing could stop Diaz as he submitted Maynard in the semi-finals to fight teammate Manny Gamburyan in the final of the Ultimate Fighter.

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He continued on this relentless run of submitting people and injured Gamburyan’s shoulder, ending the fight in the second round. He never looked back from there and went from strength to strength to become the superstar we know today.

‘You’re Taking Everything I Worked for M**’- When Nate Diaz Called Out Conor McGregor to Start an Epic Rivalry

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Written by:

Aniket Awasthi is a UFC author at EssentiallySports. This STEM undergraduate combines an insatiable urge to write with his admiration for MMA and the UFC in general to enhance his journalism. He calls charismatic names like Chael Sonnen and 'The Count' Michael Bisping as his favorite fighters, but he is a great admirer of the rise of Israel Adesanya ever since he fought Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221.

THROWBACK: Nate Diaz and The Ultimate Fighter 5

Nate Diaz and his impressive run through the tournament

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