This past week, we heard even more confirmation surrounding the potential UFC return of Nick Diaz (26-9, 2 NC). Diaz has been training hard and recently completed a mock training camp to see how he felt.
His manager said last week on his podcast that the likelihood that Diaz competes next year in the UFC is, “99.99%.” So by that measurement, the odds are pretty good that we are going to see Diaz return to the octagon next year.
Right now, the current plan for Diaz is to compete at welterweight. Diaz last competed in the UFC at middleweight when he fought Anderson Silva back in 2015. However, Diaz has spent the majority of his career at 170 pounds.
He became a world champion in Strikeforce in the welterweight division and fought for the UFC welterweight title twice. Before Nate Diaz’s fights with Conor McGregor, Nick Diaz was known as the needle mover in the family.
However, that has since changed with Nate becoming a star. Yet, there’s still a huge following for Nick Diaz and MMA fans are getting excited about his potential UFC return. So, who should Nick Diaz fight when he gets back into the cage?
Who should the UFC pair Nick Diaz with?
Diaz’s managers said that they were hoping to have an opponent nailed down by the first of the year. However, nothing is close to being finalized at the moment. It’s an interesting time for the UFC and their roster.
Last night, Dana White announced that the promotion would be making some serious cuts to their roster. He said some big names could go which could impact who the promotion would offer Nick Diaz upon his return.
For now, we will look at the current UFC roster and forget about the potential cuts. One matchup I really like is the rematch with Robbie Lawler. Lawler was supposed to fight Mike Perry recently, but had to pull out due to injury.
The plan is for Lawler to fight at the beginning of the year. I think a potential matchup between the two men makes a ton of sense. If you want to jump into the top ten, I think another option could be a Demian Maia.
Imagining those two grappling is a lot of fun. However, Maia would be a very good option if the UFC wants to get Diaz a win against a serious opponent right away. Maia isn’t a pushover, but if he can’t land takedowns, Diaz would light him up on the feet.
A win over Lawler or Maia would immediately re-establish Diaz in the welterweight division. I still would love to see the matchup between Diaz and Jorge Masvidal long-term, but I don’t see the UFC doing that without Diaz getting a win first.