“What belt would you want?” That was the question Nate Diaz asked to ESPN MMA reporter Ariel Helwani. Nate is referring to the “BMF” belt which will crown the “Baddest Mother F*cker” in the game. Diaz claims the belt is already his, and he’s defending it. But, Dana White decided to create this belt and crown it one time only for this fight which couldn’t be more fitting of the title. Nate Diaz vs Jorge Masvidal to be the BMF in the game. Just typing those words gets me going.
This Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, the UFC will be hosting their 500th event. It says a lot about Nate and Jorge when they not only headline a PPV at MSG for the 500th event, but they do it without an actual belt on the line that’ll make them champion of a weight class. But, like Nate said, “what belt would you want?”
The hype for this fight is at such a high level that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be in the house. Not only will he sit cage-side, but he’ll be the holder of the BMF belt and will strap it onto the winner himself. So, the winner will win a belt and be crowned the BMF, AND he’ll have the biggest actor in the world strap it on him…not a big deal.
There’s been buzz since Nate Diaz called out Jorge in the cage after beating Anthony Pettis at UFC 241. Jorge was in the crowd, and you could see the excitement come over his face the second Nate said his name. He was smiling from ear to ear, and you could see the dollar signs in his eyes. The moment Nate said it the whole world knew the fight was on. There was no other fight to make because, after that fight was put into people’s minds there was no other fight even being talked about. There was no other fight that people wanted to see at that point. Conor McGregor, Khabib, all those names were out window. The biggest star in the UFC is Nate Diaz. He’s the fighter people want to see, but don’t take my word for it. Dana created a belt off of words that Nate spoke.
They’re having Nate, who’s never been a champion and is almost a .500 fighter (as all his hater like to point out), headline the 500th event. As a person who’s lived and died with the Diaz brothers for the last 10 years, it feels like he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves.
It take two to tango, though. Nate can be the biggest draw, but if the opponent doesn’t fit then the fight won’t get any traction. Jorge Masvidal is the perfect opponent. He’s a Miami street fighter than has close to 50 pro fights under his belt, who everyone has always known comes to fight 100% of the time. True UFC fans would always be excited to see “Gamebred” on the card because you knew that was going to be a fight to see.
The MMA-heads always talked about a Masvidal vs. Diaz fight, only the talks would be about Nick Diaz. At that time, real fans and fighters knew the “baddest” guys around were Nick and Jorge, and it was just an obvious choice for people to talk about them fighting each other. Both Nate and Jorge have said they always thought they’d fight each other at some point. They knew they were the realest in the game, and it was just a matter of time.
That time is now. The timing has never been better for these two warriors to step in the cage. Jorge finally gets the recognition he deserves after back-to-back brutal knockouts over top welterweight competition – knocking Darren Till out cold and then topping that by knocking out the undefeated Ben Askren. His fame has never been higher, and he’s never looked better than he has in his last two fights. Is he ready for the fight of his life?
Nate Diaz returned from a three-year lay off this August to take on Anthony Pettis – another long-time UFC veteran that always brings excitement to the cage. That’s why Nate chose him to be his returning fight. He knew Pettis wasn’t going to run or hold him. He was going to fight. Those are the fights Nate seems interested in right now. He wants guys that are going to come and fight, not dance and run, or take him down and hold on until the time runs out. He wants real fights. There’s no realer fight for him than Jorge Masvidal, and everyone knows it.
All the talk and hype is over with now. It’s time to put your money where your mouth is. It’s time to draw a line in the sand. What side are you on?
As everyone who follows me knows, I’m always with Nate Diaz. I’ve never had to root against Jorge Masvidal in a fight, but there’s a first time for everything. Although, I’m a huge fan of both, and Jorge is right behind the Diaz brothers and Kron Gracie as my favorite fighters. So, if Jorge does win the fight, I won’t be as disappointed as I’d be if Nate lost to someone else.
My prediction for the fight is a unanimous decision for Nate Diaz. I think his size and pressure will be too much for his opponent. Masvidal will come out with everything he’s got in the first two rounds and try to finish Nate with a big punch or knockout. This method has worked for him in the past, but it’s been difficult for opponents to finish Nate Diaz. The Diaz brothers are as famous for their chin as anything about their fight game. Nate built his career on being able to take a shot and come forward. He takes the will out of fighters by proving he can take what they can give and walk through it and then call them a b*tch.
What makes this fight the most intriguing of Nate’s career is that we all know there’s no one that can take the will of Jorge Mavidal. Both of these men will get hit with the kitchen sink and come forward. You have to kill them to put them out. It’s kill or be killed Saturday night in Madison Square Garden. Win or lose both fighters will walk out with more fans, more fame, and more money than when they walked in. This is what prize fighting is all about. Enjoy the fight everyone.