50 MMA Fights You Must Watch Before You Die

Although Nick Diaz had been fighting for a number of years prior to competing at Pride 33, his fight against Japanese lightweight legend, Takanori Gomi, was the bout that really helped him become the fighter fans know and love.

While it looked like Pride were trying to give Gomi an easy opponent, the Stockton native had other ideas. Using his trademark boxing style, Diaz peppered Gomi with jabs and hooks to the body. Although it made Gomi slow down, he still managed to crack Diaz with some heavy shots that would've knocked out most lightweights.

However, Diaz refused to yield and continued to pressure and stalk Gomi around the ring. Eventually, an exhausted Gomi shot in for a takedown, but this proved to be the beginning of the end. Diaz locked in a slick gogoplata submission and finished the Pride lightweight champion in a non-title bout.

While the fight ended up as a no contest due to Diaz failing a drug test for having marijuana metabolites in his system, the bout was still a fantastic battle between two world class fighters.