A post-fight confrontation and a near brawl played a part in helping to create one of the most famous catchphrases in MMA history.
Back in 2007, Nick Diaz was seven months removed from a loss to K.J. Noons due to cuts when doctors refused to allow him to continue. He ended up attending Noons’ next fight against UFC veteran Yves Edwards while both competed under the Elite XC banner.
After Noons scored a blistering 48-second knockout in the opening round, Elite XC executive TJay Thompson decided it was a perfect time to invite Diaz into the cage to help build towards a potential rematch between the lightweights.
“I’m sitting there cageside next to Nick, we’re watching the Noons fight, and Noons had beat Nick Diaz by cuts I think a few months earlier,” Thompson said on his YouTube channel. “Noons finishes, I believe it was Yves Edwards, and starts getting on the mic — and I think to myself, ‘I’m a promoter, let’s promote.’
“I literally grabbed Nick by the hand and glove and walk him into the ring. That’s when things kind of turned south.”
With WWE superstar Bill Goldberg serving as the in-cage interviewer, Diaz was allowed to make a quick statement on the microphone. That’s when Diaz uttered the phrase “Don’t be scared, homie,” which almost became synonymous with him for the rest of his career.
Of course, the confrontation didn’t end with Diaz just shouting at Noons, because a moment later members from both fight camps got into an altercation that had Elite XC officials and security trying to intervene before a brawl broke out.
Thompson admits it was probably a bad idea to allow both fight camps in the cage given the volatile rivalry between Noons and Diaz, but the results of the incident provided an unforgettable moment that still gets referenced to this day.
“Once things pop off, I’ve got Rich Chou taking care of K.J. Noons’ family. I somehow think it’s a smart idea to try and stop both Nick and Nate Diaz,” Thompson said. “We did have an attorney named Jeremy Lappen get kind of stuck in the middle of it all, maybe had a bit of a concerned look on his face, who we saw at the afterparty later who was kind of dejected because his wife and called him and said on TV he looked like a p****.
“I ended up being the one to kind of take the fall for starting that riot, but I stand to my decision to bring Nick Diaz in the ring. I think it’s the absolute correct thing to do. I probably shouldn’t have let the Nick Diaz army come in the ring with him.”
The rivalry between the fighters eventually ended two years later when Diaz exacted his revenge with a unanimous decision win over Noons.
Meanwhile, “Don’t be scared, homie” continues to live forever.
