Nick Diaz has been making a lot of waves with his performances lately. He is currently riding a five fight win streak and appears to look at home fighting at a higher weight. But lost in the shuffle might very well be his younger brother, Nate (10-3). At 6 feet tall he'll have a substantial height advantage over most lightweight fighters that he faces (an advantage that his brother won't usually share now that he's competing in the 175-185 pound range). Nick grabs the lion's share of attention from the MMA media but it might just be that his little brother has more potential to possibly become a world champion. Taking a look at the numbers, Nate is officially 5-1 now in the UFC (4 wins by way of submission) as compared to his brother Nick, who was 6-4 in his UFC run. At 24 years of age Nate probably still hasn't hit his prime yet. Nick, on the other hand, appears to have improved in recent outings and now appears to be just entering the prime years of his fighting career. I know that the brothers from Stockton, California are controversial figures to many followers of the sport, but if we set aside the theatrics we're left with two talented (dare I say world-class?) fighters. Nate's fight this Saturday with Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (30-10) is a big one for both guys. Stevenson will likely need this win to continue his run in the UFC. For Nate, however, this is an opportunity to break into the upper crust of the lightweight division. He's facing a skilled and determined fighter that has rarely been finished. I think that it's entirely possible that within the next two years Nate will be regarded as an even more accomplished fighter than his brother. Looking at the winners of recent seasons of The Ultimate Fighter, I'd put Nate near the top of the least as far as having potential to excel in the UFC. What do you think? Am I overstating the potential of Nate Diaz or do you see a bright future for him as a UFC lightweight?
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