Nate Diaz never won a title in the UFC, and yet he is one of the most popular names in the history of the UFC. At a time when the UFC was chock full of exciting, historically great superstars such as Conor McGregor at his notorious best, Anderson Silva, a prime Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jorge Masvidal, and Ronda Rousey, Diaz stood out and garnered a die-hard fanbase that is still behind him.

This in large part is because of not only his bar brawler, leave-everything-in-the-octagon fighting style, but also because of his distinct and endearing personality. So unshakable is the Stockton native that even Conor McGregor‘s famous mental games and trash-talk failed on Diaz. But despite the former BMF contender’s stand-offish public persona, his wife has a very different view of Diaz.

Nate Diaz’s wife once claimed her husband was misunderstood

Diaz’s wife, Misty Brown once called out the wrong perceptions about her husband. Brown and Diaz met in their early twenties, having met at a park near their home, where she used to play football. Reminiscing about the early days, Brown recalled how the future UFC legend had a knack for running and getting into trouble even back then. “He was always running laps. Even then he was getting in trouble,” she said in an interview with The New York Times in 2019.

The couple’s relationship has been going strong for the past fifteen years, and they even have three young children together. While Diaz has an aloof, too-cool-for-the-room persona in public, his wife thinks this is because the Stockton native is misunderstood. “It’s wrong that he comes off as the middle finger mean guy that you can’t have a conversation with, when deep down inside he’s one of the most passionate people I’ve met,” she said.

Brown had made these comments in the run-up to one of the momentous moments in Diaz’s fighting career: his comeback welterweight fight against Anthony Pettis in 2019 after a break of three years. And now the former UFC superstar is gearing up for another momentous moment in his career: a rematch to try and avenge the loss of his only title fight in the UFC.

Diaz to rematch Masvidal in a boxing match

The first time Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal fought, it was for the newly-created ‘BMF’ title five years ago. Going into their UFC 244 bout, the duo were, of course, two of the most popular fighters in the promotion. However, neither was close to fighting for the title then or in the near future. This led the UFC to try and raise the stakes of the bout with a novel and unprecedented move. And thus the ‘Baddest Motherf***er’ title was created.

Since both men were excellent and exciting fighters, no one was surprised to see the bout turn into a striking extravaganza. Until the end of the third round that is. Their fight was stopped in the most unsatisfying of ways: a doctor’s stoppage. Before the fourth round began, Diaz, because of a serious gash above his eye, was stopped from continuing by the ring-side doctor.

Given how the whole affair ended, there have been calls for the UFC to give them a rematch ever since. But a rematch never materialized. Until now. With both men out of the UFC, they are booked to face each other in a ten-round pro boxing match under the Queensberry Rules on Saturday night in Anaheim, California.

Who do you think will win the bout? Drop your predictions in the comments below.