Six years on, MMA fighter Nick Diaz set to return to the cage
American MMA fighter Nick Diaz has been slated to make his official return to competition, the UFC announced via its Twitter account.
The return bout is set for the UFC 266 fight card in September against American Robbie Lawler.
Diaz and Lawler fought for the first time 17 years ago at UFC 47, with Diaz coming away with a knockout victory in the second round.
Now, nearly two decades later, the two are running it back in Las Vegas.
It will be Diaz’s first fight in six years, his last fight being a unanimous decision loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 183 in 2015. The result was later overturned to a “No Contest” as Silva tested positive for illicit substances.
Diaz’s surprise return announcement comes merely one month after his younger brother Nate’s return to the octagon at UFC 263 last month.
Despite a near KO in the fifth round, Nate lost a unanimous decision against Leon Edwards.
Nearly a decade since Diaz’s last MMA victory, both he and his brother are still superstars in the MMA community, with rumours of his return a near-constant discussion online.
Lawler, a former UFC Welterweight champion, is currently on a four-fight losing streak, his last defeat coming by unanimous decision against Neil Magny in 2020.
There is no doubt Lawler will be itching to avenge his previous loss against Diaz and get back into the win column.
Diaz will be looking to impress crowds in his return fight, along with the possibility of his in-cage antics, such as lying down mid-fight against Anderson Silva.
Australian featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and American Brian Ortega will headline the UFC 266 fight card, broadcast live from Las Vegas’ UFC Apex centre Sunday, September 26 (AEST).
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