Nick Diaz is not Mexican. He is American and was born in Stockton, California. He lives in Lodi, California. The common narrative behind Nick and Nate being Mexican is not just the surname “Diaz”, but also the toughness and resilience that both the Diaz brothers bring inside the Octagon. Mexicans have gained a reputation for being tough, and it has been seen even in sports like boxing with the likes of Canelo Alvarez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Julio Cesar Chavez among others.
Nick Diaz was raised in Stockton, California, and has not spent any time in Mexico growing up. However, it is reported that he is Mexican from his father’s side. Be that as it may, Diaz has never explicitly spoken about his Mexican heritage.
Why do people think the Diaz brothers are from Mexico?
Many people think even Tony Ferguson is Mexican. However, that’s not the case as Tony Ferguson is American by nationality. When Andy Ruiz defeated Anthony Joshua, handing the British boxer the first loss of his professional boxing career, Conor McGregor took to Twitter to compare Nate Diaz’s toughness to Andy Ruiz’s Mexican toughness inside the Octagon. Needless to say, prompting many to believe that Nate Diaz is Mexican.
I know first hand the toughness of the Mexican chin.
They come up off the floor like something out of thriller.
It is never over until it’s over with the Mexicans.
God bless them.
Congrats Andy Ruiz. pic.twitter.com/8Vquwjny6z— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 2, 2019
While McGregor has often ridiculed Nate Diaz’s ethnicity, calling him a “cholo” during the lead-up to their fights, he has also put up contradicting statements. “I turned him into a Mexican tonight” McGregor tweeted, suggesting as if Nate Diaz is only Mexican because of his fighting style and toughness.
Conor McGregor: I turned him into a Mexican tonight. He fought like a Mexican.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 27, 2017
It’s interesting to note that the name “Diaz” is of Spanish origin, first originating in Spain. It is one of the most popular Spanish names. However, as of 2014, 21.5% of all known bearers of the surname Díaz were residents of Mexico. So it’s hard not to assume why the Diaz brothers couldn’t have been from Mexico.
View this post on Instagram
Additionally, both Nick and Nate have very English names. Nate Diaz was born Nathan Donald Diaz, while Nick Diaz was born Nicholas Robert Diaz. Needless to say, both are very English names and suggest no Mexican heritage. The Diaz brothers are Hispanic, having roots in the Spanish-speaking population.
Discussion about this post