Nate Diaz's Real Name: Nate Diaz

Quick answer: He competes as Nate Diaz, and that is the name used on his UFC athlete profile and fight records. Sherdog's fighter database gives his birth date as April 16, 1985, and the UFC lists his place of birth as Stockton, California. Some searches use the longer form Nathan Diaz, but we did not find a qualifying source that documents a longer legal name. The title therefore uses his public name.

Real name and early life

A 2016 UFC.com feature describes Diaz as a Stockton teenager who grew up in a neighborhood with "a lot of gang activity." His mother, Melissa, worked long hours as a waitress and put her two sons and their sister into sports to keep them off the streets. The same article calls him 31 in August 2016, which matches the 1985 birth date.

His path into fighting came through his older brother, Nick Diaz, who was already fighting professionally. Nate told UFC.com that after he finished school, Nick asked why he was sitting around and "threw a pair of gi pants at me." He trained at Cesar Gracie's gym alongside Nick, Jake Shields, and Gilbert Melendez. The UFC lists his training base as Gracie Fighter / Nick Diaz Academy in Lodi, California.

Career highlights

Sherdog records his early wins in the WEC, including a 2004 triangle-choke submission. UFC.com says that by 2006 he was a respected prospect but at a crossroads after a WEC loss to Hermes Franca, at only 21. He reluctantly agreed to join season five of The Ultimate Fighter, which his brother had turned down for season four.

UFC.com says he won the season by beating Manny Gamburyan in the June 23, 2007, finale, which earned him the six-figure UFC contract that goes to the winner. The UFC lists that date as his Octagon debut.

His biggest night came on March 5, 2016, when he submitted Conor McGregor with a rear-naked choke at UFC 196, according to Sherdog. UFC.com called it an upset and said his popularity "skyrocketed" afterward. McGregor won their August 2016 rematch at UFC 202 by majority decision. Sherdog lists later bouts against Anthony Pettis and Jorge Masvidal in 2019 and a guillotine-choke win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September 2022. UFC.com noted in 2016 that he was tied for the most post-fight bonuses in UFC history.

Name notes for searchers

Diaz is his family surname, shared with his brother Nick. Searches for Nathan Diaz or Nathan Donald Diaz usually refer to the same fighter, but those longer forms are not documented by the UFC, Sherdog, or other qualifying sources we checked. Sherdog lists his association as the Cesar Gracie Fight Team.