Make that semi-retired.
Welterweight mixed martial artist Nick Diaz will be taking on world class Brazilian jiu-jitsu player Braulio Estima in a BJJ superfight next month in California. The surly Stocktonian has not competed in a strictly BJJ match in two years.
A BJJ black belt under Cesar Gracie, Diaz hangs his hat on top-notch grappling skills, but he’ll have his hands full with Estima. The 31-year-old Brazilian is as decorated a grappler as they come, having won multiple BJJ competitions at the highest level. A two-division Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championship winner in 2009, Estima will take on Diaz as he prepares to transition from high level grappling to mixed martial arts competition later this year.
Most recently, Estima took out former Strikeforce middleweight champ Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in a super-fight at the 2011 ADCC tournament.
Diaz, who has never been submitted in BJJ competition, announced his retirement from MMA following a controversial unanimous decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143 earlier this year. That loss cost him a shot at UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and also ended an eleven-fight winning streak that included victories over BJ Penn, Paul Daley, KJ Noons, and Frank Shamrock.
The Diaz-Estima match will be fought no-gi at 180lbs and is slated to take place on May 12 in Long Beach, California as part of the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo.
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So sick! I live in LA so I may have to go catch this. Any mmafrenzy staffers gonna be there? If so I will apologize for all obscene posts in person ;)
oh no he’s retiring! his humble and polite attitude will be missed but i guesse he just doesn’t have the time to smoke pot, be a douche and fight in mma. well at least he has his priorites straight.
this was such a necessary and productive comment, thanks.
“Retiring” was his way of saying he didn’t wanna fight in the UFC anymore cause he thinks he’s not making enough for his fights.
The Diaz supporters will follow him wherever he goes, which is good for other organizations pockets. Everyone has to admit he’s a great fighter. I HATE the guy, but I have to give him props, he’s a bada$$ fighter. Him coming back to the UFC wont make my decision whether to buy a ppv or get it for free, but I will still watch his fights cause they’re usually pretty fun to watch.
He can’t do MMA in any other org since he is under contract with the UFC still.
Why no gi? To even the odds?
@MikeMac
I’ve been talking to Estima on twitter and I asked him about it being NO GI and who requested it and why….. He said he didn’t know who requested the NO GI stipulation but he accepted the fight regardless. Hope this helps
I’m personally looking forward to this bout, I however believe Estima wins this handily.
@fr702
thanks for info. I would like to see the fight I hope they will have it available.
who cares, hope he gets choked out
Anybody know if there will be a video available sometime after this competition?
I would assume I’ll be able to find a video of the match after it happens, I then will post it in the Forums section.