Firas Zahabi: Nate Diaz beats 99 percent of fighters if there's no time limit

Firas Zahabi believes that Nate Diaz doesn’t really lose fights, he just runs out of time.

Diaz (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC) displayed his incredible toughness once again when he almost pulled off an incredible comeback against Leon Edwards at UFC 263 earlier this month. Down four rounds to none, Diaz rocked Edwards with less than a minute remaining in the fight, but Edwards survived the late surge.

Just like Diaz, Zahabi thinks the fight would have been over had Stockton’s finest had a few more seconds – or unlimited time in the fight.

“If you put (Nate Diaz) in a fight where there is no time limit, I think he beats 99 percent of fighters,” Zahabi said during a recent Q&A on the Tristar Gym YouTube channel. “You can’t sub him. You can’t finish him. The guy doesn’t stop walking forward. He puts volume on you. He is the scariest, in my opinion, street fighter in MMA.

“I think if you had to fight him in the street, man, you are in a fight for your life. Ain’t going to be no judges standing you up between rounds. There’s no judge to come and give you the win. No, no. This guy ain’t going away. I think if he had a no time limit fight with Leon Edwards, he beats Leon Edwards – and I have a tremendous admiration for Leon Edwards.”

Firas Zahabi thinks that without time limits Nate Diaz would finish 99% of fighters

Do you think he is right? pic.twitter.com/mf2zmHfp46

— RT Sport (@RTSportNews) June 25, 2021

Diaz is known for his cardio and durability, which has helped him stay in fights no matter how badly things are going for him. It was perhaps most evident in his marquee win against Conor McGregor at UFC 196, where he handed the Irish superstar his first octagon loss when he rallied to submit him. One of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster, Diaz is currently targeting a quick turnaround against anybody “that makes sense.”