UFC 241: Diaz back in action

ANAHEIM, California – The mostly empty arena rumbled with outsized excitement when Nate Diaz stepped onto the stage. The fans erupted into cheers while Diaz lit a joint and took a big drag before doing a little shadowboxing for the cameras.

Even before he said a word at his open workout four days before UFC 241, Diaz showed he can captivate an audience like no active fighter in the mixed martial arts world. Fighters can train for almost every skill in the game except charisma, and the Diaz brothers are laden with it.

The younger Diaz (19-11) returns from a threeyear hiatus on Saturday night, taking on Anthony Pettis in his first bout since his two showdowns with Conor McGregor in 2016. A heavyweight title rematch between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic is the main event, but many fans at Honda Center and around the world will be watching mostly to see what Diaz does next.

“I’m here as a businessman and a natural born killer,” Diaz said. “I’m here to get the job done, and he’s the guy to do it on, so there’s no problem. It’s all good with me. I’m just here to kill and stay alive for the weekend.”

Diaz and his older brother, Nick, receive a level of adulation in the MMA world that exceeds even their considerable accomplishments. It’s difficult to explain the Diaz appeal to observers who don’t have a full historical perspective on the pugnacious, thoughtful brothers’ omnipresence in their sport’s attitudes and images during the past 15 years, even when they weren’t competing very often.

Their swashbuckling attitude, angry disregard for authority, profane words of wisdom and athletic fighting styles all appeal tremendously to many people who support a young sport that’s still seen as repellent counterculture by a big segment of mostly aging sports fans.