Nate Diaz featured in San Francisco 49ers playoff hype video

Nate Diaz continues to be a crossover star in the making, as the former UFC lightweight and welterweight fighter is slowly but surely transitioning into the next phase of his career.

But in between the madness of the fight game comes other promotional opportunities for Diaz, who last competed at UFC 279 against Tony Ferguson in Sept. 2022.

With the NFL playoffs starting Saturday, Diaz was featured in a hype video ahead of the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Seattle Seahawks in the wildcard round. Diaz, a Stockton, Calif. native, is seen wearing 49ers gear and using the most Diaz-esque words of wisdom to get fans excited for the first-round tilt between the pair of NFC West long-time rivals.

Watch the video courtesy of NBC Sports 49ers, seen on NBC Sports Bay Area in California.

https://twitter.com/nbcs49ers/status/1614345399636217856?s=46&t=E0Oa2fzoA_bXv1qMdpAPng

Diaz won TUF 5 as a member of Team Pulver and delivered some of the season’s best moments. This led to Diaz becoming one of the most popular fighters in the sport, as he faced Michael Johnson, Benson Henderson, Gray Maynard, Jorge Masvidal and many others throughout his Octagon journey.

There are two fights, however, that stand out as Diaz’s coming of age. After an injury forced Rafael Dos Anjos out of his highly anticipated lightweight title fight against Conor McGregor in 2016, ‘Notorious‘ needed a last-minute replacement. After weighing its options, the UFC landed on Diaz to save the UFC 196 main event. On just 10 days’ notice, Diaz shocked the MMA world and upset the then-UFC featherweight champion with a rear-naked-choke, creating one of the biggest rivalries in the history of sport.

The pair would meet again at UFC 202, but Diaz would lose a closely contested bout to the Irishman that ended in a decision. Despite the series being even at 1-1, a trilogy never came to fruition in the coming years.

At press time, the 49ers lead the Seahawks 41-17 in the 4th quarter.

What are your thoughts on Diaz’s support of the 49ers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, Penn Nation!