nick diaz speed bag

In 1972 Robert James Fischer captivated the world in a way no one had before. His match against rival and product of the Russian chess machine Boris Spassky had even the inner city mobsters talking about chess. Ultimately Bobby Fischer would win, but he later descended in to a paranoid sort of madness. So what does this have to with Nick Diaz? Let me explain.

Fischer hated cameras. He claimed he could hear them making noise when no one else could. He was convinced that the lighting was all wrong, there were too many people in the room, and the chess board was too big or small when he played. None of that had to do with chess and that’s where Diaz comes in. Both are battling their celebrity.

Nick Diaz is the MMA enigma. Talented and fierce as he is he hates being in the spotlight. Fischer hated chess because he hated the exposure, but played it because he loved it. Diaz feels the same about fighting. Both men perform when it counts, win or lose. The only real difference is that Fischer was a champion on the biggest stage of them all and Nick has faltered in the UFC twice failing to capture the title. There is still hope.

Fischer took out Boris Spassky at a time when many felt he couldn’t win one game. Diaz has been in that spot all of his life even when he beat Robbie Lawler with one of the most memorable knockouts in history  – he still had doubters. Nick Diaz picked apart legend BJ Penn to the point BJ finally looked like he was not only human, but vulnerable. Nick exposes weaknesses in fighter’s and alot of them find themselves running backwards like Carlos Condit. No one wants to square up with Diaz. They want to outpoint a guy with a nasty killer instinct who could care less about points himself. It doesn’t go well for a lot of his opponents. In the first match with Spassky, Fischer made a move only a rank amateur would  and it cost him the match. It was a statement that he would not accept a draw and force his opponent to fight. Nick Diaz consistently turns fights in to battles just like Fischer and at UFC 183 Anderson Silva will have to bring it.

Bobby made the best chess players in the United States look like amateurs when he was only 15. You watched Diaz break BJ Penn’s will and crush his spirit when they fought. BJ looked like a punching bag and for Nick it was just another day at the office. Fischer crushed Spassky after breaking his will and his confidence. Is Anderson’s confidence back and if so can Nick shake it up? There was no trash talk from Fischer when it came to the big game and there is no trash talk from Nick leading up to his fight on Saturday.

At UFC 183 on January 31st Nick Diaz will fight who many consider the greatest fighter to ever step in to an MMA ring. Anderson Silva is returning after losing to now champion Chris Weidman twice and suffering a horrific leg injury in the 2nd fight. Diaz is coming off losses to GSP and Carlos Condit himself so no one knows where the minds of these two fighters are right now. There is a lot riding on this fight for both men. A possible title shot for Silva and if Diaz finishes him he may get a shot himself. This fight is interesting to many, many people who are not hardcore fans. Just like Fischer vs. Spassky was in 1972.

For most, there is no chance in hell that Nick Diaz who fights at welterweight can beat Anderson Silva the former middleweight champion at 185 pounds. Fischer was given zero chance by experts against Boris and he pulled off winning the World Chess Championship. Nick has great jiu jitsu and striking, but Silva is a technical master which is a drastic contrast to Nick’s wild boxing. Nick is going to have to be great, or simply lucky to win. Just like Fischer he has the support of many who see Nick’s potential and want him to capture a title before he retires. Saturday is a big test and we are going to find out just how great Nick can be under pressure.

 

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