This is how legends begin. Before Nick Diaz became an MMA superstar he fought in underground illegal vale tudo events.
This fight from the early 2000′s is between Adrian saldana and Nick Diaz. Saldana later received his bjj black belt under Cassio Werneck.
Nick was born and raised in Stockton, California. His father is of Mexican descent and his mother is of English descent. Diaz attended Tokay High School in Lodi, California, for a year before dropping out. While a freshman, he was a member of the swim team. Diaz began training in karate and aikido from a young age and also participated in wrestling tournaments during his teenage years. He started training in Sambo at the age of 16 under Bulgarian National Sambo Champion Valeri Ignatov. He was promoted to black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu by Cesar Gracie on May 8, 2007. Diaz currently teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu with his brother Nathan in Lodi, California. Both Diaz brothers are advocates for cannabis.