8. Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos | Jan. 29, 2011
We continue our chronological look at Diaz in Strikeforce, as the 10th entry was his fourth Strikeforce appearance and this was his fifth, as well as his second title defense. His opponent, “Cyborg,” is better known these days for being the ex-husband of Cristiane Justino, who kept the family nickname after their amicable split. He was an early member of Chute Boxe during the glory days of Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua but was never remotely at their level. For one, he had a major grappling weakness, with many opponents simply taking “Cyborg” down and either finishing him with ground-and-pound or a submission. On the feet, he was a brawler with porous defense, but could be highly dangerous. Reinforcing this, he had recorded a major upset in his last Strikeforce outing before challenging for the crown, knocking out talented Lithuanian striker Marius Zaromskis in half a round. Diaz was a massive favorite, but Santos, a former light heavyweight, showed up in best the shape of his life and put on the performance of his career. Right away, he bashed Diaz with one hard leg kick after another. Halfway through the round, Diaz was noticeably wincing from each one. However, each time Diaz would come forward to engage with punches, Santos threw a string of hooks, several of which hurt the champion and caused him to retreat.
Finally, with 90 seconds left in the round, Diaz showed his mettle. He started, as he often did, with a number of off-power punches merely meant to touch the opponent, nothing more. However, he suddenly threw a huge left cross that hurt Santos, followed by a number of heavy hooks to the head and body. Diaz continued treating Santos like a punching bag for the rest of the round, but the Brazilian stayed upright, refusing to go down. Indeed, “Cyborg” came out strong for the second stanza, scoring more vicious leg kicks and several powerful close-range hooks that pushed Diaz back. Santos threw everything and the kitchen sink at Diaz, even landing several elbow strikes. However, he grew tired halfway through the second, and Diaz once again pursued him, landing punch after punch against the Chute Boxe product. Santos retaliated with hooks and knees to the stomach. Shockingly, with about 30 seconds left, “Cyborg” hit an inside trip against Diaz. That would prove to be a mistake, as Diaz athletically spun for an armbar with textbook technique, with the Brazilian slow to react, let alone defend. With about 10 seconds left in the stanza, Diaz fully extended the arm, prompting a tap as the San Jose crowd thundered its appreciation. Santos may have been a glorified journeyman, but he was at his very best that night against Diaz, making for a memorable battle.
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