Nick Diaz’s Final Combating Championship (UFC) profession isn’t over but.
It was lately introduced that the elder Diaz brother, 40, will return to motion for a Welterweight conflict in opposition to No. 13-ranked contender, Vicente Luque, in UFC Abu Dhabi’s co-main occasion subsequent month (Sat., Aug. 3, 2024). By the point Diaz competes, it is going to have been practically three full years since his final struggle.
Diaz ended a six-year hiatus when he rematched Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 in September 2021. Sadly for the previous Strikeforce Welterweight champion, he remained winless since 2011 when Lawler scored a 3rd spherical technical knockout over Stockton, California’s most interesting. In accordance with Diaz’s longtime teammate and buddy, Jake Shields, he was out of the fitness center for nearly all of that blended martial arts (MMA) absence.
“He didn’t prepare in any respect for his Lawler struggle,” Shields stated on JAXXON PODCAST. “That struggle shouldn’t have occurred for my part. I’m not gonna get into too many particulars however I wasn’t too blissful. I feel he was form of pressured into that so folks may earn a living.
“The truth that he fought Robbie Lawler with zero coaching in 5 years, I used to be freaked out watching that,” he continued. “I believed he was gonna get embarrassed and he placed on a fricken conflict. He misplaced, however he went simply two rounds — for a second, I believed he may come again and win — with no coaching. So, I feel it reveals he nonetheless has the guts, and now he’s coaching. I can’t say how exhausting, I do know he’s coaching now.”
Though Shields is aware of Diaz is extra ready for this upcoming go-around, he admitted extra time for the bout would have been perfect. Since Diaz final fought, Luque has gone 1-3 (22-10-1 general).
