Nate Diaz often sounds off on anyone and everyone, and his next targets come in the form of naysayers worried about his health.
The 38-year-old veteran has been in a lot of incredible fights, but he continues to insist that he hasn’t taken that much damage over the years,. He simply bleeds just due to scar tissue, he says. Former opponent Jorge Masvidal had this to say upon his UFC exit: he called him a “borderline vegetable”. Diaz’s speech deteriorated from years of combat in the UFC, according to Masvidal.
Nate Diaz Discusses Potential Damage
Diaz, as always, seemed to lash out at an indeterminate detractor. “I don’t really be eating punches like they say,” Diaz said during The Pat McAfee Show. “I bleed because of the forearms and elbows and s*** cut me up but like I said, I’ve been in a boxing gym and it might not look like it but I roll with a lot of these punches that anybody lands on me.”
““These f****** are talking about how I talk and I’ve got f****** CTE or some s***. I’m like bro, I’ve been talking this way the whole motherf****** time. It’s got nothing to do with getting hit or none of that. I’m smarter now [more] than ever,” Diaz said.
Diaz prepares for his first professional boxing bout against infamous Youtuber Jake Paul . He claims that he is healthier now than he was in the UFC. Without grappling and wrestling, he feels that his body is doing much better through this stage of his career. Even so, he is absorbing plenty of damage in the squared circle.
“I’m not wrestling and doing all the grappling, there’s a lot less wear and tear so I feel really good,” Diaz said. “Boxing’s still a dangerous sports. I’m boxing with big guys and you don’t want to get your bell rung and get hit in the head a lot. It’s different than MMA because there’s a lot of headhunting going on but there’s a lot less wear and tear on my body for sure.”
CTE, however, mostly has nothing to do with knockouts Realistically, it has more to do with repeated blows to the head, especially when injured. The disease often presents as dementia, and shows towards the end of an athlete’s career. After speaking with several doctors, I have come to the understanding that timing and frequency matter much more. For a boxer, this could pose a potential threat as damage could arise even without concussions.
Diaz understands that a single punch or two can alter a fighter’s career. Avoiding blows as an injured fighter is paramount to maintaining brain health.
“I feel like every fight is pretty f***** up,” Diaz explained. “Somebody is attacking you with their hands and their legs or whatever. I’m always aware I could get knocked out at any time and that’s what makes me train harder than most people.”
“I think that I’m just conscious of that. That’s the reason why I stay conscious anyways.”
Both Diaz and Paul recognize the potential for damage in their 10-round bout. At thirty minutes it is longer than any of Diaz and Paul’s fights, regardless of sport. However, it plays into Diaz’s hands with his elite cardio and conditioning. He is as a brawler with fantastic cardio, which is in direct odds with his notorious consumption of cannabis. Even so, Diaz remains in great physical condition, especially for an athlete in their late thirties.
Regardless of how fans feel about Diaz heading into camp, he looks to start as sharp as ever in the ring. He may not sound like it, but that’s just who he is, and we’re all along for the Nate Diaz ride.
Featured Image Credits to Embed from Getty Images
