One of the more popular fighters in the UFC over the last several years has been Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz rose to stardom after he defeated Conor McGregor in a massive upset back at UFC 196. McGregor was the featherweight champion at the time.
Following that contest, the two would rematch in the second highest grossing PPV event in UFC history. Diaz has competed twice since that McGregor rematching winning a fight against Anthony Pettis before having the BMF title match against Jorge Masvidal.
Since the BMF loss, Diaz has been on the sidelines. Recently, it was reported that the UFC was close to finalizing the rematch between Diaz and Masvidal. However, the UFC appears to be heading in a different direction angling to book Masvidal against Colby Covington.
That leaves Diaz without a fight. However, thanks to the wonderful world of twitter, a new fight for Diaz could be materializing before our eyes. In the last few days an exchange between Diaz and Dan Hooker (20-9) has created headlines. Both men have challenged the other to a fight.
?? 155
?? 170
? Other pic.twitter.com/tNVqA4Ytcn— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 13, 2020
Would the UFC make it happen?
Hooker is currently the fourth ranked lightweight without a fight. He’s coming off of a close decision loss to Dustin Poirier back in June. He’s been wanting to get back into the octagon, but he has yet to find an opponent to throw down with. Diaz seems to be interested in taking the fight.
Judging by social media, it appears that Diaz is ready to return to the UFC. Considering the fact that the Masvidal fight was close to being done shows that he’s wanting back in. A fight with Hooker would be a fun change of pace for Diaz.
If Nate Diaz were to fight Dan Hooker, it wouldn’t be a giant money maker. However, it would be a fight that could reestablish Diaz near the top of the lightweight division. Granted, Diaz is currently calling for the fight to take place at 165 pound.
I think the UFC would be smart to capitalize on the social media talk between the two men. Nate Diaz needs to be more active in the octagon, and a fight with Dan Hooker would be extremely entertaining for the fans. Time will tell if the promotion moves to book the catchweight contest.