Nick Diaz is about as unconventional as it gets in mixed martial arts. That includes training year round for triathlons in between all of his time at the gym.
Diaz is prepping for the biggest fight of his career, Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137 in October, but he's not curtailing any of his road work, cycling or swimming.
The former Strikeforce welterweight champ, who hasn't lost an MMA fight since 2007, finished an impressive 36th at the 30th Annual Donner Lake Triathlon.
Diaz also beat out former Oakland A's outfielder Eric Byrnes in the process. It took Diaz 2 hours, 46 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the 0.9 mile swing, 24.8 mile bike ride and 6.5 mile run around Donner Lake.
"It keeps me in great shape. I'll be in great shape when I start training camp," Diaz told the North Tahoe Bonanza. "A lot of mixed martial arts guys who train only at one sport will fall short at some point in a fight, whereas an all-around good athlete can go further, in my opinion."
In April, Diaz was in Las Vegas for an Xterra race. He explained to Cagewriter's Maggie Hendricks why he races eight or nine times a year.
I just like to race. I like the open water swim. It gives me something to build for. During [triathlon] season, every two weeks, I'll race. In that training, I get stronger and stronger, building up to the race. After a race, a lot of people will crash, but I'll keep building up and building up until I have to fight. It gives me something to not crash after the race is over. I try to keep the ball rolling until I have a fight.
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