The legacy of the Diaz brothers has been etched in the annals of MMA history, especially in the UFC. Nick Diaz, the older brother, looked unbeatable when he was the Strikeforce welterweight champion. However, things have not gone well for him in his second stint with the UFC.
Diaz fought Robbie Lawler in September 2021 after a lengthy hiatus and appeared to be a pale shadow of his former self. However, new training footage of Diaz has gone viral, leaving fight fans on the edge of their seats.
Video: Nick Diaz release new training footage
Even though Nick Diaz has never become a champion in the UFC, he has touched gold with other promotions like Strikeforce, WEC, King of the Mountain, and IFC. In the UFC, Diaz fell short of it as he had to face the legendary Georges St-Pierre for the title.
Diaz didn’t look good in his last fight against Robbie Lawler. However, his recent training video on Instagram showed Diaz demonstrating his signature volume striking. Diaz captioned the post, “Somebody Is Gonna Pay Very Soon…🕰️🤬”, thus indicating a possible return to action. The video had the Ice Cube song Hello in the background which added a serious nod to it.
During his heyday, Diaz used his volume striking to full effect and scored notable victories over Robbie Lawler, Paul Daley, Frank Shamrock, BJ Penn, and others. In addition to his striking, his versatile Jiu-Jitsu also made him a potent threat from the back.
Diaz is a staunch supporter of Cannabis, and it has got him in trouble on numerous occasions. Marijuana is now not considered a banned substance by athletic commissions and doping agencies in the USA. However, Diaz had to face suspensions and sanctions for testing positive for it.
Ironically, when the ban on Marijuana was lifted, it was called the Nate Diaz law. Since the lifting of the ban, Nate Diaz has openly smoked weed even at the press conferences of PPV events.
Nick Diaz returning to UFC?
Nick Diaz’s first stint in the UFC had 10 fights with a 6-4 record. After the stint, Diaz plied his trade on different promotions and eventually became the Strikeforce welterweight champion. The UFC bought Strikeforce and ushered Diaz’s second stint with the promotion.
Diaz’s second stint has not gone well as he is 1-3(1) with his last fight being a TKO loss to Robbie Lawler. Diaz’s latest training footage suggests something is in the works for the older Diaz brother. He had expressed an interest in returning in 2023 against Israel Adesanya, as per Bloody Elbow, but it did not materialize.
Rumors speculated about a grappling match with Georges St-Pierre in 2023, which also did not materialize. With Nate, his younger brother, involved in boxing matches after his UFC exit, a boxing fight could also be in the works for Nick Diaz.
Nate Diaz is scheduled to face Jorge Masvidal in a 10-round light heavyweight boxing match on June 1, 2024, at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California. The pair first fought for the inaugural BMF title at UFC 244 which Masvidal won via Doctor Stoppage.
Who do you think Nick Diaz will fight on his potential return? Leave your prediction below!
