Nick Diaz, who competed in his most recent fight in UFC 266 against Robbie Lawler and suffered his third straight defeat in a decade, is now getting ready to make a comeback after two years in the latter part of this year.
Nick has mentioned his desire to return to the octagon on a number of occasions, so this is not the very first time he has hinted so. In point of fact, the middleweight fighter made his return from retirement in September of 2021, when he engaged in a fight with Lawler.
Nick Diaz says he's asking the UFC 'to fight as soon as possible' https://t.co/CAfD21bLju pic.twitter.com/qIaqg76cMI
— jof (@corleone003) March 7, 2023
The 39-year-old fighter made his professional MMA career debut in 2003, but he had a successful start to his UFC career with a unanimous decision victory in his first fight in 2011 against BJ Penn. In a relatively short amount of time, the seasoned fighter established himself as a fan favourite, which led to his decision to compete in one more bout.
When is Nick Diaz coming back?
In a recent interview with the Inside Fighting, the veteran fighter discussed his desire to compete again, as well as the probable division he would like to compete in.
“I’m asking to fight as soon as possible. Not Jon Jones, though. Diaz indicated that he’d be willing to take on a top middleweight, including champion Alex Pereira and former titleholder Israel Adesanya. I always want to fight the best, you know. Not Jon Jones or anything,” said Nick.
Nick Diaz is ready to return to the UFC. #UFC #MMA
via @InsideFighting_ pic.twitter.com/PuH0rWk8BV
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) March 8, 2023
Nick has been in fantastic physical shape as of late, which is another factor supporting his desire to compete once more. He achieved a significant weight, and he believes that he is now able to compete against the best fighters of the middleweight division.
There is a possibility that there will be some uncertainty over Nick’s eligibility to make a comeback, but given that this is the UFC, we have no way of knowing what will occur next. Hence, if it is not against the current champion of the division Alex Pereira or the former champion Israel Adesanya, it may just be against another fighter from the middle of the ranking.
Who should Nick Diaz fight next? 🧐#MMATwitter pic.twitter.com/SKOL8GbTye
— MMAFEEN 🇳🇿 (@MMAFEEN_) March 7, 2023
The president of the UFC, Dana White, has not yet issued any official statements regarding Nick’s return; but if you were in charge of making the decision, who would you pair Nick with? Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts about the Veteran fighter’s wish to return to the octagon.
