NICK DIAZ BEATS THE SNOT OUT OF FRANK SHAMROCK AND THEN HELPS HIM UP

Posted on | April 11, 2009 | 1 Comment

By: Rich Bergeron

Nick Diaz is back and better than ever!

I believe I have just witnessed one of the classiest acts I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing in my time covering the sport of MMA. Coming from a guy I’ve seen act very childish and disrespectful in the past, it was all the more shocking to see.

Nick Diaz, over the course of two solid rounds he was winning when the fight ended, took apart Frank Shamrock quicker than Cung Le did in Frank’s last fight and made Frank look like Phil Baroni did after his fight with Frank. Shamrock, battered, bloody, and beaten, lie crumpled on the cage floor with just inside a minute left in the round, taking a tornado of punches to the head and body from Diaz. Shamrock looked as if his life in the sport was flashing before his eyes, as if he knew the end was near.

Then it happened. Something nobody probably expected and everybody should appreciate and recognize. Nick Diaz pulled Frank to his feet and told him to get up. Standing with a look of suspicion on his face and still in a bit of recovery mode, Shamrock was able to show the crowd he was OK, but he looked like he wanted to go right back to the ground and rest. It was amazing to me how Diaz ignored the ref trying to lay Frank down and made sure the man was on the feet to wave to the crowd and symbolize the end of all the hype and the lead up to this thing. Diaz explained later that his degree of respect for Frank is immense, and it showed in the post-win reaction there. He decided to forget about his own celebration mode and tend to making the crowd recognize Frank. I was really impressed by that and hope it represents a new and improved Nick Diaz both inside and outside the ring. Great fighters often have serious demons we forgive because they put on great shows. In his past, I think Diaz let those demons destroy him and run his life. Today he looks to have channeled them and focused them on the fighting game. Let’s hope it lasts.

In other action Scott Smith pulled off an impressive win over Benji Radach after a slugfest that saw both fighters get their bells rung repeatedly. Finally, while in a state of slow sleep-fighting, Smith connected with a right hand that ended the fight. Gilbert Melendez had a similar victorious one-punch finish against Rodrigo Damm for the interim Strikeforce lightweight title, and Brett Rogers pummeled “Abongo” Humphrey in a match of 2 unbeaten heavyweights that almost got stopped for hair pulling by Rogers. Cris “Cyborg” came in with weight issues she attributed to a “women’s issue” but still demolished tiny little Hitomi Akano in a women’s match at 145 pounds.

It was a great first card for Strikeforce, but the choice of main events did not provide for much of climactic ending. Aside from that great moment of respect that saved the performance, that fight was a mismatch. Now I want to see Cung Le vs. Diaz.

In other fights:

# Shingo Kohara def. Jeremy Tavares via KO (knee) – R2 (0:04)
# James Terry def. Zak Bucia via unanimous decision
# Raul Castillo def. Brandon Michaels submission (RNC) – R1 (1:45)
# Eric Lawson def. Waylon Kennell via TKO (punches) – R1 (4:54)
# Luke Rockhold def. Buck Meredith via submission (RNC) – R1 (4:07)

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