Nick was in prime form in strike force
people were just standing with him
Nick vs Gomi is one of the wildest amazing fights ever...That is a gem that will last forever
none of that^^^^^ has to do with wasted potential but it is true
Nick was absolutely to me the best thing going in MMA in between his UFC stints, as far as in-ring entertainment with high-level skill and enough personality and drama to make it that much more exciting.
He wasn’t necessarily the top in his division at any given time (not far off though, as his return fight with Condit, who completely changed his style in order to eke out a decision that could have gone either way, proved - 1-2-5!), but I can’t think of a dud fight he had during the time.
Actually, his fights against guys like Diego and Karo and of course Lawler were amazing in his first UFC stint as well. He was right even with guys just a notch below Hughes and then GSP, and not some journeyman who couldn’t cut it, like some people try to say.
Sure, he fell off the cliff personally once he started drinking in his early 30s, but it was an amazing career nonetheless, and I guess at least we never saw him go out there as a shell of himself and get trounced by guys who barely belonged in the same cage as him in his prime, like BJ did.