MMA UFC

Former UFC Welterweight Contender Nick Diaz is a Triathlete for Now

Fresh Videos

By @lukeschmaltz

Nick Diaz

Getty Images

Not only will he out-box you and out-wrestle you, Nick Diaz will also outswim, outbike and outrun you. Just because he is no longer teeing off on opponents in the Octagon doesn’t mean he has dropped out of the world of athletics.

Quite the contrary. Diaz competes in triathlons comprised of 600 meters of swimming, 18 miles of cycling and three miles of running. He cites his involvement in triathlons as a key reason as to why his cardio was so elite during his MMA fights, allowing him to go three, four and five rounds without gassing out. He participates in triathlons eight to nine time a year, the majority of which are with the super competitive XTERRA races.

Admittedly, watching Diaz in his triathlon element is not nearly as entertaining as watching him fight. Which begs the question as to whether or not he will return to the cage. It is a possibility, but Diaz has firmly stated that he will no “go backwards” in the sport of MMA.

UFC president Dana White recently contacted Diaz about a fight with Hector Lombard. Diaz countered by saying he would only consider a fight with welterweight champion Johny Hendricks and he even set the price at $500,000. He was no doubt cruising through his next triathlon chuckling to himself about that.

If triathlons paid better, it’s a safe bet that Diaz would have disappeared from fighting much sooner than he did. The average Diaz fan can be thankful that these super competitions don’t pay squat. If the triathlon pay scale stays meager, perhaps that fact can someday be attributed to a long-awaited Diaz return to MMA competition.

Luke Schmaltz is a Combat Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @lukeschmaltz, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

Share Tweet
Trending Now on