UFC: Nate Diaz 'Authenticity' Praised In Era Of Conor McGregor Impersonators

Nate Diaz made a triumphant return inside the octagon after a three-year hiatus when he beat Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 last weekend. The Mexican fighter’s return and his impressive unanimous decision win even saw Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White admit that Diaz is a now a “needle mover”.

The 34-year-old Mixed Martial Artist has received support from current and former UFC stars including long-time rival Conor McGregor, who paid tribute to Diaz after his win and spoke about a potential trilogy fight between the two. Former UFC Welterweight and Middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre also praised Diaz and it was not just for his fighting skill inside the octagon.

The Canadian fighter, who is currently retired from the sport, believes the authenticity that Diaz brings is rare in the UFC at the moment. He said the current era is full of McGregor impersonators with their brash trash talking and there are very few fighters who have their own style and approach.

“He’s an amazing character because he is so authentic. He doesn’t care about what he says, very authentic guy,” St-Pierre said recently during a chat with Chael Sonnen, as quoted on MMA Mania.

“Now is the Conor McGregor era, and you see a lot of guys that try to mimic other guys that are more successful, in terms of their platform. They want it to become bigger. And it doesn’t work for a lot of them because they’re not authentic, but Nate Diaz is very authentic. He is a unique person and a unique character. That’s why people love him so much,” he added.

Diaz went the full three rounds with Pettis at UFC 241 before winning via unanimous decision and his fighting style and his approach made everyone with UFC president White, McGregor and St-Pierre praising the Mexican. The latter even believes that Diaz is in the best shape he has ever been in despite spending three years away from the octagon.

“What a comeback. After three years, I was not expecting that. I think he looked better than he ever did. It was amazing,” St-Pierre said.

Diaz is not ready to rest on his laurels and has called out Jorge Masvidal for his next bout. He wants to fight the Miami-born fighter for the self-proclaimed title of “baddest m-----------" in the UFC. White admitted that he is not opposed to the fight as he is certain that it would generate a lot of interest.