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[Sakara=Excitement]

http://www.cagepotato.com/solution-n...s-going-weight

Ah, the post-defeat talk of changing weight classes. Or, as we like to call it, the fighter’s false friend. Usually, unless a guy is getting on in years, his answer to a difficult patch in his career is to go down in weight, maybe fight some of those pipsqueaks in the division below his. Nate Diaz however, has a different idea. According to post on GracieFighter.com in which he apologized for fighting “like garbage” and suggested that Gray Maynard’s face was too bloody to really deserve the decision, Diaz outlined a plan to go up to welterweight, explaining:


“I really don't think I'm going to stay at 155lbs. I don't make enough money to have to drop this much weight so I'd like to fight at 170 and only go to 55's every once in awhile.”

Forgetting for the moment that his reasoning is completely flawed (seriously? you acknowledge that you can cut the weight, but don’t get paid enough to do it?), here’s why that’s a terrible idea:

1. Clay Guida. Remember what he did to Diaz? Sticking right on top of him and suffocating his offense with superior wrestling skills? There are Clay Guidas in the 170-pound division too, only they are considerably bigger and stronger. If you don’t think that will be a problem, just look at how easily Maynard pushed Diaz around when he felt like it.

2. Say goodbye to the reach advantage. Perhaps the best thing Diaz has going for him as a lightweight is that he’s six feet tall with long, lanky limbs. That gives him a reach advantage over most 155ers, and also helps his choke submissions (and all his submission wins in the UFC have come via some sort of choke). At welterweight, six feet is no longer considered tall. Mike Swick is 6’1”, and he’s also got the monkey arms. Anthony Johnson is 6’2” and an absolute powerhouse. Ben Saunders? Forget about it.

3. KO power is already an issue. Like his brother, Nate excels at outworking opponents with arm punches, though not necessarily at eventually overwhelming them via accumulation, ala Nick. He’s never knocked anyone out in his UFC tenure, and his punching power will only become less fearsome in a higher weight class.

Cutting weight is a pain in the ass, and finding a way to do less of it while also giving yourself a reason to think that you’re about to get a fresh start may seem like an attractive option, but it is a siren’s song. Someone needs to tie Nate Diaz to the mast and make him focus on getting better instead of bigger.

[lwbrewer]

He's doing what he does best that is TALK

[MMA4EVERRR]

hes already 1-3 in his last 4 at 155...wat is hoping to accomplish against guys at 170? i say give him Amir in his first fight at 170...hopefully Amir gives him a worse beating than he did against Phil

[roaddawg]

Its kinda funny I was just thinking about this lastnight.
He seems to struggle against good wrestlers (Clay, Joe Daddy). I would hate to see him fight Sherk.

One has gotta ask though at this point where does Nate go from here?

rd

[willpunisher]

so thats his problem? his weight cut? LOL

[GL Jeff]

He looks kinda flabby at 155, but he wants to move to 170,lol. So people like,AJ, Kos, Fitch, Alves, Swick, Ben, Hughes, Serra, Trigg, omg the list is sooo long can overpower him and totally fuck up his day. Im all for it.lol.

[stevequalude]

Idk I thought he was beginning to come around and outstrike Gray in the third and I think He would beat Gay in a Rematch

[Tyreas]

His problem is he uses the same style as his brother but he isn't close to the same skill level standing up. Nate is a work in progress.

[MirJitsu]

I'd love to see Kos wreck him at 170. Moving up definitely isn't the solution. Let him hang with the 155ers in WEC.

[goodtimes]

Originally Posted by GL Jeff

He looks kinda flabby at 155, but he wants to move to 170,lol. So people like,AJ, Kos, Fitch, Alves, Swick, Ben, Hughes, Serra, Trigg, omg the list is sooo long can overpower him and totally fuck up his day. Im all for it.lol.

Flabby? He looks aneroxic to me.

It could make sense for him to put on some muscle, he is way smaller then his brother right now even though they have similar frames. If he works on putting on more weight, it's at least worth a shot for him to go to WW.

I take issue with this article because the author says Guida was "on top of him", when I'm not sure if Guida got a single takedown. All Guida did was press Diaz against the cage, and whenever they seperated Guida got tagged.
The author also mentions Anthony Johnson as a WW "powerhouse", but as we've seen three times now he struggles alot against guys with good pressure that take him into later rounds. On top of that, he fails to make weight in about half his fights. He's way to big to be a WW.
Guys who really look good in their weight classes are like GSP, Terry Etim, and Anderson Silva at 185. They have long limbs, but still a lot of muscle. Diaz would still be long at WW, of course not nearly as long as he is now. But he has to cut a lot of weight and he has very little muscle mass.