UFC color commentator Joe Rogan explained how welterweight fan-favorite Nick Diaz changed the sport of MMA during his recent podcast.

Due to a previous engagement, Rogan will not be sitting at the commentary booth this weekend for UFC 266 when Diaz rematches Robbie Lawler 17 years after they first met, but he’s still very intrigued with the matchup just like the rest of the MMA world. Speaking on his “Joe Rogan Podcast,” Rogan praised Diaz ahead of his comeback. As far as Rogan goes, Diaz changed the sport because he showed that cardio was one of the most important elements of the game. By having elite cardio on top of his other skills, Nick Diaz and his younger brother Nate Diaz have both achieved an incredible amount of success in MMA.

“Nick Diaz changed the game in terms of his elite cardio. He did something that was a new thing and that new thing was, he’s not gonna hit you with a hundred percent power, he’s gonna hit you with 50 percent. But he’s gonna hit you twice as much, and you’re never going to get to breathe, and he’s gonna stay on top of you, and he’s gonna talk to you the whole time. Psychologically he’s going to disrupt your breathing by constantly hitting you and once he realizes you’re hurt, then he’s digging to the body, then he’s putting it on you. On top of that, blackbelt jiu-jitsu skills, really good wrestling takedown defense, chin made of iron, and unstoppable will,” Rogan said (h/t MMAjunkie.com). “Those guys (Diaz brothers) do a lot of triathlons. That’s one of the reasons why they’re so durable. That’s why they’re always in insane shape. They don’t get tired like everybody else gets tired. They have insane endurance.”

Do you agree with Joe Rogan about how Nick Diaz changed the game of MMA?