2011-08-21 01:25:44 +0000 #1
Just reading about Diaz' prep for his upcoming title fight on the front page. Just as i speculated, he is bringing in a boxer to spar with. The reasoning being that he needs to get used to GSPs speed. Cesar says they will also be bringing in wrestlers, but that they aren't concerned as to where the fight go so much as Nick being able to fight no matter where the fight goes.
I really want Nick to take this fight but I just can't see the fight going any other way than GSP neutralizing Diaz' standup by clinching, taking him down without putting himself in a place where he could be submitted x 5rds.
Looking back at Diaz' wins: Daley, Cyborg, Zaromskis, Sakurai, Noons, Shamrock...he was able to finish all those guys but only because they came and brought a fight to him. His loses usually come when guys are able to neutralize his striking (via wrestling at times) or just aren't aggressive enough for him to put away.
Seems like the sure fire way to lose to Nick is to try fighting him, and he will be fighting a guy that doesn't normally finish his opponents. mma math never makes sense, but Shields, the worse striker this side of Royce Gracie gave him a bum eye. Then again Koscheck, who had better striking than Shields, could not do **** either.
Diaz is better both on his feet (without a doubt, though stricly speaking a better boxer since he doesnt often kick) and in BJJ. On paper, the advantage GSP has is wrestling/gameplanning.
I'd like to say that Diaz should be doing nothing but wrestling or chop off his legs at knee level so that GSP can't take him down, but i can't even think of what Diaz can do to have the fight go any other way than what all the other GSP fights have. None of the guys Diaz has faced in the last two years have been strong wrestlers. I hope he'll bring Ben Askren in and go hard for five rounds. But not to learn how to stuff a takedown or anything like that, but how to finish a wrestler inside of 25mins.
So really, what can Diaz do to win this fight?
I really want Nick to take this fight but I just can't see the fight going any other way than GSP neutralizing Diaz' standup by clinching, taking him down without putting himself in a place where he could be submitted x 5rds.
Looking back at Diaz' wins: Daley, Cyborg, Zaromskis, Sakurai, Noons, Shamrock...he was able to finish all those guys but only because they came and brought a fight to him. His loses usually come when guys are able to neutralize his striking (via wrestling at times) or just aren't aggressive enough for him to put away.
Seems like the sure fire way to lose to Nick is to try fighting him, and he will be fighting a guy that doesn't normally finish his opponents. mma math never makes sense, but Shields, the worse striker this side of Royce Gracie gave him a bum eye. Then again Koscheck, who had better striking than Shields, could not do **** either.
Diaz is better both on his feet (without a doubt, though stricly speaking a better boxer since he doesnt often kick) and in BJJ. On paper, the advantage GSP has is wrestling/gameplanning.
I'd like to say that Diaz should be doing nothing but wrestling or chop off his legs at knee level so that GSP can't take him down, but i can't even think of what Diaz can do to have the fight go any other way than what all the other GSP fights have. None of the guys Diaz has faced in the last two years have been strong wrestlers. I hope he'll bring Ben Askren in and go hard for five rounds. But not to learn how to stuff a takedown or anything like that, but how to finish a wrestler inside of 25mins.
So really, what can Diaz do to win this fight?