Photo: Airman 1st Class Phillip Houk via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Nate Diaz has signed off from the UFC in style, choking out former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson with a guillotine in the fourth round to win the main event of UFC 279 in Las Vegas.
The finish came at 2:52 of round four on Saturday, September 10 at the T-Mobile Arena. It was the last fight on Diaz's UFC contract, and it earned him a Performance of the Night bonus, according to the event results.
Diaz wasn't even supposed to be fighting Ferguson. He was booked to face Khamzat Chimaev, but Chimaev weighed in 7.5 pounds over the welterweight limit and the card was reshuffled the day before the event. Ferguson, originally set to face Li Jingliang, stepped in to meet Diaz at welterweight instead.
It was Diaz's first finish since 2016, and a reminder that the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is dangerous wherever a fight goes.
Diaz has eaten a mainly plant-based diet since he was 18, following the lead of his older brother Nick. He has never claimed to be perfect about it, and admits to eating fish from time to time. He has also said he eats eggs and some dairy in moderation, while sticking to raw foods in fight camp. But he has always been clear about what plants do for his cardio and recovery. He told Men's Journal:
Me and my brother are at the top of the game and have been for a long time. We're obviously doing something right. Besides knowing how to kick somebody in the head, you should know how to feel good tomorrow.
We've been following Diaz since he beat Conor McGregor on 11 days notice in 2016, when he said his diet played a significant role in that win. In 2019 he came back after three years out to beat Anthony Pettis, and plant-based featherweight Alex Caceres won five straight in the UFC last year.
Whatever comes next for Diaz, he leaves the UFC on a win.