Sherdog’s Top 10: Nate Diaz’s Signature Moments
No. 3
3. Guillotine Drops
Nate Diaz was primed for one of the most significant opportunities of his career when he headlined UFC on Fox 3 against Jim Miller on May 5, 2012. He was on a roll after wins over Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone, and his battle with Miller was viewed as the last obstacle standing between him and a shot at Benson Henderson, then the UFC lightweight champion. Diaz entered the cage as an underdog, but as he had done so many times before, he proved the doubters wrong.
Miller had difficulty dealing with the Californian’s length and reach, and to make matters worse for him, Diaz was superb in the clinch. He connected with several vicious knees to Miller’s body, tagged him with punches upstairs and out-grappled him on the ground. With his nose bloodied and time ticking away, Miller began to wear down in the face of enormous pressure.
In typical Diaz fashion, he began taunting the New Jersey native, toying with him as he pelted the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with knees and punches. Miller shot for a takedown out of desperation and fell right into the submission savant’s guillotine choke. He tried in vain to escape, but Diaz has successfully lured him into the trap. The tapout came 4:09 into round two, as he became the first man to ever submit Miller.
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