Nate Diaz has created a career out of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Diaz, 24, entered the cage against veteran Melvin Guillard at Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City in desperate need of a victory. Coming off two straight losses, Diaz was in danger of being relegated to the dregs of the lightweight division or even being cut from the company.
The much-improved Guillard mostly dominated the first eight minutes and fifty seconds of the bout, even opening up a nasty cut above the right eye of Diaz. But Diaz has the ability to seemingly pull submission victories out of nowhere, and he did it again in the final minute of the second round, securing a tight modified guillotine choke during a Guillard takedown attempt. With the choke locked in tight and his air supply waning, Guillard had no other choice but to tap.
The victory moves Diaz to 11-4 overall. Guillard falls to 22-8-2.
– Gray Maynard sent Roger Huerta to Hollywood with a razor-thin split decision in the co-feature bout of the evening. Huerta looked very strong in the opening round, mixing in lightning-fast combinations and even stunning Maynard.
But Maynard rebounded from the poor first round and used his wrestling skills to control Huerta for much of the rest of the bout. Maynard, a former standout collegiate wrestler at Michigan State University and three time All-American, wasn’t able to control the reselient Huerta on the ground. But Maynard did lock in a kimura in the third round that may have shifted the bout permanently in his favor. Huerta did not submit despite his arm being bent at an impossible angle.
Huerta has stated that this was his final bout in the UFC. He’s leaving mixed martial arts behind for the time being to attempt an acting career. Maynard, however, moves one step closer to a shot at champion BJ Penn. Tonight’s victory may have earned him a future title shot.
– In the other bouts of the televised portion of the card: Carlos Condit won a thrilling decision over Jake Ellenberger. Condit, considered one of the top welterweights in the world, utilized brilliant techniques to overcome Ellenberger’s power despite being nearly finished on several occasions. Condit spent much of the fight on his back, but was far more active than Ellenberger…Nate Quarry earned a hard-fought decision over Tim Credeur in a wild slugfest to open the show.
