Nick Diaz used relentless ground and pound to batter UFC star who ‘beat’ Khabib Nurmagomedov 

Nick Diaz ended his brief second UFC stint with an impressive performance 19 years ago today.

The Stockton star became a leading fan favorite in MMA’s leading promotion, where he challenged for gold and figured in a number of memorable fights.

But Diaz’s career inside the Octagon was certainly not without deviations. Following eight fights, he briefly competed elsewhere before an unexpected short-notice return at UFC 62.

After Diaz submitted Josh Neer, he stuck around for one more fight before joining Pride and going on to eventually become the inaugural Strikeforce lightweight champion. 

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Nick Diaz pummeled Gleison Tibau on the ground in second-round TKO at UFC 65

The UFC 65 pay-per-view took place on this day, November 18, in 2006. The event at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California concluded with Georges St-Pierre knocking out Matt Hughes in their highly anticipated rematch.

The Canadian’s main event victory was not the only impressive performance on the night. Joining the likes of Tim Sylvia and Brandon Vera in the UFC 65 winners’ circle was Nick Diaz.

In the final fight on the preliminary card, Diaz shared the cage with Gleison Tibau. The Brazilian was making his Octagon debut after building up a 16-2 record on the regional scene.

Tibau would go on to accumulate 16 wins in the UFC — the fifth most in the lightweight division’s history. But things could not have started much worse for him on MMA’s biggest stage.

After ending round one on his back, Tibau was finished in the second frame when Diaz unleashed relentless ground-and-pound attacks.