Diaz is considered by many to have some of the best boxing in MMA. Roach doesn’t seem so impressed.
“He’s a tough guy, okay. He won’t tap out. He’s a tough guy. I’ve never met the person. He might be one of the better punchers in UFC, but he doesn’t fight like a fighter. He doesn’t shuffle and land combinations and put his weight behind his shots. He walks forward. He walks forward in a straight line and walks backwards in a straight line. I’m not really that impressed with his boxing. … Diaz walks forward with combinations. If you move back in a straight line he’ll kill ya, but the thing is you just can’t let him do that. You can’t give him momentum.”
Asked if he thinks the fight between St-Pierre and Diaz will go the distance, Roach said:
“Diaz is very resilient. Georges, I think is very smart. So, I don’t think anyone is going to really get caught making a mistake. Well, Diaz might, but the thing is he won’t tap out. You’ll have to kill him. He is a tough guy. I like that about him and so forth. The mentality as a fighter, I think they’re more street fighters than boxers. He’s a good street fighter I would say.”
How much will Diaz’s boxing play into the fight with St-Pierre? Will he get a chance to tee off with his trademark combinations or will St-Pierre choose to take it to the ground? I wonder what Freddie Roach would think about the video of Nick Diaz punching the speed bag for 23 straight minutes — you think that would impress the legendary boxing coach?
