This is One of the Weirdest Videos of the Day… Martial Arts Move Legend Jean-Claude Van Damme Once Trained The Diaz Brothers in a Parking Lot…
Of course, this had to involve the Diaz brothers. Stockton’s finest are two of the most quirky individuals in MMA today and maintain a cult fanbase. It’s two years since Nate last fought at UFC 202 when he lost a very tight decision to Conor McGregor in their rematch.
You have to go back another year if you want to see when Nick made his last appearance in the Octagon. He took on Anderson Silva at UFC 183 in 2015. Initially, Silva walked away with a unanimous decision win, but it was soon overturned to be a No-Contest after the Brazilian tested positive for PEDs, and Diaz tested for marijuana.
Now footage has emerged for the first time of the most loved sibling duo in MMA training with Belgian martial arts movie legend Jean-Claude Van Damme. Of course, they’re all in a parking lot.
Bizarre
It’s truly strange footage. Van Damme – as most people reading this will know – was one of the great martial arts movie stars of the 80s and 90s. Movies like Bloodsport, Kickboxer and Hard Target all have a cult following today.
Particularly well known for his kicks, he’s seen in the video above showing the Diaz brothers a quick combination. It’s pretty basic what he’s showing them. As he gets Nate to move forward, he throws a few hands, followed by a front kick. Van Damme seems to be emphasizing that they lift up and kick from the knee.
When a legend like Van Damme is in front of you, it doesn’t matter what he tells you to do. You just do it.
History
Of course, Van Damme has a history of ‘training’ with UFC fighters. Even before meeting the Diaz brothers, he had a run-in with former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt. It didn’t go well. ‘No-Love’ Had no love for Van Damme’s training style, which involved a heavy emphasis on stretching and legwork.
Things went from bad to worse when Van Damme accidentally kicked Garbrandt in the head. Cody reacted very badly and proceeded to moan about the incident for the next few months. As the old adage says: never meet your heroes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlKzz5zD9ML/?hl=en&taken-by=nickdiaz209
Comeback
Meanwhile, both of the Diaz brothers are on the comeback trail. Nate is finally set to end his two-year hiatus after finally accepting that he might not ever get to finish his trilogy against Conor McGregor. He’s taken a very dangerous fight against Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 230.
Nick has also signaled that he is on his way back too. He has been dealing with domestic abuse charges over the last year, but they’ve been dismissed by a Las Vegas court. He’s openly said that he wants to come back and fight again for the UFC. He hasn’t been booked yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
