On June 6, 2009, Nick Diaz landed a 15-punch combination against Scott Smith in the Strikeforce promotion.
Diaz fought Smith at an 180-pound catchweight. Despite, Diaz showing off superb striking skill, he later finished the fight with a rear-naked choke in the third round.
After defeating Smith, Diaz fought for the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship, and the rest is history.
Diaz won the welterweight title and successfully defended the title three times before leaving to join the UFC. Diaz had title victories over Marius Žaromskis, KJ Noons, Evangelista Santos, and Paul Daley.
Once joining the UFC, Diaz immediately defeated former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ Penn. Diaz then went on to lose two decisions in title fights against Carlos Condit and Georges St-Pierre.
Diaz last fought in Jan. 2015 against former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. The fight originally ended with Silva winning a decision. However, the fight was later overturned to a no contest when Silva tested positive for banned substances.
Diaz also tested positive for marijuana during the Silva fight and was suspended for 18 months by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
