After more than six years without a fight, does Nick Diaz really want to step inside the cage at UFC 266? It’s hard say.
After more than six years without a fight, does [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] really want to step inside the cage at UFC 266? It’s hard say.
On Wednesday, Diaz skipped media day ahead of Saturday’s pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena, where he’ll meet Robbie Lawler in a rematch 17 years after finishing him at UFC 47, but the former Strikeforce welterweight champion still spoke to UFC broadcast partner ESPN.
In a 20-minute interview, Diaz questioned his return to mixed martial arts in general and wondered specifically why he’s even running it back with Lawler after all these years.
“I’m going in there to win,” Diaz said. “Do I feel confident? I never do. I never have. I always feel like I’m going to get trashed out there. Every fight I’ve ever done. ‘How do you feel against Robbie Lawler?’ I feel like I’m going to get the sh*t beat out of me. And even when I win, I get beat up worse.”
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But don’t be fooled by Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) expressing doubt about his ability as the 38-year-old made it clear he should be coming back to a title shot against welterweight champion Kamaru Usman – even though he hasn’t won a fight since October 2011.
“I think I’ll beat the sh*t out of Usman,” Diaz said. “I’ll have a better shot against Usman than I do Lawler, just because I already beat Lawler. This doesn’t make sense for me to go in and fight Robbie Lawler again. I don’t know why I’m doing this. … This should not happen. Whoever set this up is an idiot. I don’t know why I’m doing this. I don’t know why this happened. I should be fighting Kamaru Usman – and that’s it.”
Diaz hasn’t competed in MMA since January 31, 2015 when he lost to Anderson Silva, a fight that was later ruled a no contest after Diaz tested positive for marijuana and Silva for performance-enhancing drugs. Diaz was later handed a five-year suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
Diaz has always had a love-hate relationship with MMA, and the time off has done nothing to help with the bitter relationship.
“All the people around me and all the money and the sponsors, they won’t let me get away from fighting,” Diaz said. “There’s things I could do, but that’s not gonna work out. I might as well just go and take my punches. … I don’t want to look back and say, ‘Why did I not just do it?’ I don’t feel great. I feel great to fight. I don’t feel great about everything (else). If I don’t do this, I don’t know how I’m going to feel about myself.”
UFC 266 looks a little different midway through fight week.
UFC 266 looks a little different midway through fight week.
On Wednesday, the promotion announced that [autotag]Karl Roberson[/autotag] has been removed from his middleweight bout due to illness. In his place, Dana White’s Contender Series alum [autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag] steps in to meet Nick Maximov.
The women’s flyweight bout between [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] and [autotag]Mayra Bueno Silva[/autotag] was scrapped from UFC 266 due to COVID-19 protocols. As MMA Junkie previously reported, Fiorot (who is asymptomatic) and her team tested positive for the virus.
The UFC also confirmed that the rematch between [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] and [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] will be contested at middleweight instead of welterweight as originally agreed upon after Diaz asked for the change. Earlier Wednesday, Lawler indicated he had agreed to the last-minute change.
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With the changes, here’s the updated UFC 266 lineup:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega – for featherweight title
Champ Valentina Shevchenko vs. Lauren Murphy – for women’s flyweight title
The twists and turns of Nick Diaz’s comeback fight week continue.
The twists and turns of [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag]’s comeback fight week continued Wednesday.
Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) was scheduled to attend UFC 266 media day ahead of his planned rematch with Robbie Lawler (28-15 MMA, 13-9 UFC) on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Originally scheduled to speak with MMA Junkie and other media outlets at 1 p.m. ET, Diaz did not arrive at the UFC Apex until roughly 4 p.m. ET. The remainder of the fighters – including Lawler – all made their appearances before members of the UFC’s public relations team informed those in attendance at 6:15 p.m. ET that Diaz would not be answering questions.
Diaz’s decision to skip media day comes on the heels of a controversy to kick off fight week. After originally signing for the bout with Lawler to take place at welterweight, Diaz’s team requested on Tuesday for it to be moved up to middleweight.
Dana White says Nick Diaz's team wants Saturday's Robbie Lawler rematch changed to middleweight.
UFC president Dana White told “The Jim Rome Show” on Wednesday that Lawler has agreed, and the fight will proceed at a new weight class. When speaking to reporters during his media day slot, Lawler said he’s prepared to fight and simply remarked, “It is what it is.”
Diaz hasn’t competed in MMA since January 2015, when he fought Anderson Silva to a unanimous decision loss. The result was overturned to a no contest when Diaz tested positive for marijuana and Silva tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Robbie Lawler has agreed to fight Nick Diaz at 185 pounds.
An eventual octagon comeback for Diaz has been discussed on and off for the past half decade. Fight week hi-jinx were not foreign to Diaz during his previous UFC stint, and it seems to have picked up where it left off.
Diaz is not the first fighter who has opted to skip a UFC media day obligation. His younger brother, Nate Diaz, did the same thing ahead of his UFC 241 fight with Anthony Pettis in July 2019, and others on the roster have followed suit.
The best facts and figures about UFC 266, which features two championship fights and the anticipated return of Nick Diaz.
The UFC returns to pay-per-view on Saturday with UFC 266 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card lineup follows prelims on ESPNNews and ESPN+.
A pair of championship fights headline the card. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (22-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) will attempt to make his third featherweight title defense against [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in the main event, while [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) puts her women’s flyweight strap on the line for the sixth time against streaking challenger [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC).
In addition, the card will feature the long-awaited, highly anticipated return of [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC), as he’s set to run it back with [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] (28-15 MMA, 13-9 UFC) in a rematch of a 2004 fight Diaz won by knockout.
For more on the numbers behind the loaded lineup, check below for 80 pre-event facts about UFC 266.
Robbie Lawler has no idea why Nick Diaz pushed for a weight class change for their UFC 266 rematch.
[autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] has no idea why [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] pushed for a weight class change for their UFC 266 rematch, but he’s ready for it.
Some surprising news came out on Tuesday when it was revealed Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) had made a last-minute request to shift the anticipated rematch with Lawler (28-15 MMA, 13-9 UFC) from the welterweight division to middleweight. UFC president Dana White said the request came from Team Diaz, but he first needed to speak with Lawler to make sure he agreed.
White and Lawler had that conversation, and it appears to have been green-lit. It’s a strange situation, but Lawler said it won’t rattle him.
“We had a short conversation,” Lawler told MMA Junkie and other reporters at UFC 266 media day. “It is what it is. I’m ready to fight. … I’m ready to go that’s all that matters. Camp went well and controlling the things I can control.”
The big adjustment for Lawler with this change is that he needs to pull back on his weight cut. He hasn’t competed at middleweight since July 2012, but Lawler thinks he’ll be able to make it work efficiently.
“Obviously I’m a little light, but I’m strong, I’m fast – I’m ready to fight,” Lawler said. “I’m going to eat. Try to feel comfortable.”
Despite all the drama, Lawler said his opinion on Diaz hasn’t changed going into fight night. He said he enjoys the opportunity to welcome Diaz back to the octagon and get some revenge from his first career knockout loss in 2004.
“He’s a warrior, he comes to fight and he doesn’t take sh*t,” Lawler said.
Six years ago today, Nick Diaz delivered an insightful speech moments after he had been told he couldn’t fight again for five years.
Six years ago today, [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] stood outside the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas, moments after he was told he wouldn’t be fighting again for five years.
Truthfully, I didn’t ever expect him to speak to reporters – myself included – after the Nevada State Athletic Commission delivered its draconian ruling, suspending one of the sport’s biggest stars for what seemed an absolutely absurd amount of time simply for testing positive for marijuana following his UFC 183 clash with Anderson Silva.
Oh, and let’s not forget the accompanying $165,000 fine.
For weed.
Why would he speak to the media? After all, he didn’t really even speak to the commission, instead electing to plead his Fifth Amendment right some 27 times while being questioned by notoriously dogged commissioner Pat Lundvall. Flanked by attorneys Nick Granath and Lucas Middlebrook, a clearly uncomfortable Diaz gave us the closest thing we’ve ever seen to a Dave Chappelle skit during an NSAC session.
Yet afterwards, as we scrambled out of the conference room to try and get a comment I fully expected would never come, we were told that if we waited patiently outside, Diaz would indeed speak. Even at this point, I imagined his team was trying to stall us just long enough to let Diaz hop in car and speed away.
Several minutes later, just as I was convinced we had been duped, Diaz walked up and delivered his now famous monologue. The single quote that has been plucked most often from the 12-minute soliloquy is a classic.
“I know all the fighters, and they’re all on steroids,” Diaz said before staring straight into the cameras. “All you motherf*ckers are on steroids.”
It’s important to remember what was happening in MMA in September 2015. The UFC’s anti-doping program was just a few months old, and there were still questions about how effective the work of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency would prove. As it would turn out, USADA’s reach did show itself to be rather powerful, and the number of sanctions issued by the agency in its early days gave Diaz’s claims some credence.
But just one month prior to the hearing in which Diaz was suspended five years for using marijuana, the same commission suspended former UFC middleweight champion Silva for one year after testing positive at the same event for multiple banned substances, including two anabolic steroids. It hardly seemed like two equitable decisions, and that fact was not lost on Diaz.
“This commission, everybody, they’ve done everything they can to keep me from being all the way on top, where I should be,” Diaz said. “Those people are nothing but a bunch of crooks up there.”
Diaz isn’t always the most effective communicator, a fact that isn’t lost on him. But there were so many parts of this particular speech that struck me as especially important, outside of the most circulated clip. First was the emotion that he fought back when discussing the fact his suspension would not only just keep him from competing but would also prevent him from being a licensed cornerman for his brother, Nate Diaz.
“My brother’s got a fight coming up,” Diaz said. “You mean to tell me I can’t even go and corner my brother when he goes in to – this ain’t a sport. This is war. This is warfare. This is a war game. He’s going in there to fight for his life. I can’t even go stand next to him.
“They’ve deprived me of not just money now, but the right to stand up for not only what I believe in, but for my little brother. I can’t even go and help my little brother.”
Shortly after battling back a quick tear, Diaz also offered an incredibly honest look into his upbringing, focusing on topics that only seem more relevant today in both bullying in schools, as well as the accompanying anxiety.
“They got me sweating bullets in a little court office hearing, and I should be sweating bullets in a gym, training for a fight,” Diaz said. “This feeling, what I got right now from being in that room too long, is exactly why I became a fighter. It’s exactly why I walked out of classrooms. This is exactly why I couldn’t make it through high school. I had little gangbangers trying to start up with me. I had little fights here and there. I couldn’t make attendance.
“I had somebody tell me the other day, ‘Oh, you could have gone to college if you wanted to.’ I was like, ‘Really?’ I’m like, ‘I got moved out of every school. I got moved out of three or four grammar schools. They tried to put me on drugs. Then the teacher is going to be like, ‘Oh, yeah, yeah, sorry he’s acting up today. He didn’t take his medication.’ Then kids next to me, you know kids are going, ‘Oh, what’s wrong? You didn’t take your medication today?’ And I’m like, ‘F*ck. What?’ That wasn’t going to work out.”
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Public sentiment stood firmly behind Diaz in the months that followed. So staunch was the rally, the White House was even forced to issue an official response after a petition to lift his suspension received more than 115,000 signatures.
Now, six years later, Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) is finally set to enter the octagon again, facing former rival and fellow MMA legend Robbie Lawler (28-15 MMA, 13-9 UFC) at next week’s UFC 266 event in Las Vegas.
In the time that Diaz was away, the state of Nevada legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and the NSAC elected to stop punishing athletes for the detection of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in their system. Had similar rules been in place in 2015, it certainly makes you wonder how Diaz, who was very much in his athletic prime at 32 when he was suspended, might have seen his career take a different trajectory.
“I’m the biggest draw,” Diaz said in 2015. “I’m the best fighter. I’ve been fighting for longer. I’ve been throwing more punches than everybody in the sport. I’ve been dodging more punches than everybody in the sport, and that’s the bottom line. That’s what’s really going on.”
Here’s hoping Diaz can pick up where he left off, and that the wisdom of his messages continue to be heard, even if they aren’t always immediately evident.
Nick Diaz hasn’t lost his confidence going into his UFC 266 return despite more than six years away from fighting.
It doesn’t appear [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] has lost his confidence after more than six years away from fighting.
Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC), a former Strikeforce champion and massive fan favorite, is set to return to the octagon for the first time since January 2015 later this month when he rematches Robbie Lawler (28-15 MMA, 13-9 UFC) in the featured bout of UFC 266.
For many years there was a strong belief Diaz would never make a comeback. He seemed to enjoy his life outside of competition, but now is ready to resume the activity he’s known best for as he pursues his first victory since battering B.J. Penn to a decision at UFC 137 in October 2011.
Much of Diaz’s preparation for UFC 266 has come in the shadows, as he’s released barely any training footage and done even less media.
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As the Sept. 25 event, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNNews and ESPN+, draws near, though, Diaz can’t avoid the spotlight.
The promotion released a snippet of its upcoming “UFC Countdown” show, and Diaz gave brief comments about how he’s well prepared and feeling “dangerous” going into his second encounter with Lawler. He won the first meeting by second-round knockout at UFC 47 in April 2004.
“I’m actually way more of a dangerous fighter than I was when I fought Robbie Lawler the first time,” Diaz said. “I’m going to be really unstoppable having made the right decisions.”
Lawler told MMA Junkie on Wednesday that he doesn’t expect a drop-off in Diaz’s skillset despite the long hiatus. He expects Diaz to “try to beat my ass” on fight night, and there’s no denying that will be his game plan.
The rematch between Diaz, 38, and Lawler, 39, will serve as the second fighter UFC history to be scheduled for five rounds when it’s neither a main event nor a title fight. How 25 minutes opposed to the standard 15 factors into the contest remains to be seen, but Diaz appears ready.
Not a man of many words, Diaz said simply that he’s going to put on a repeat performance against Lawler, but this time coming from a better version of himself.
Robbie Lawler reflects on his loss to Nick Diaz in 2004 and previews the anticipated rematch at UFC 266 on Sept. 25.
[autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] is preparing for a better version of [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] than anyone has ever seen at UFC 266.
Lawler (28-15 MMA, 13-9 UFC), a former UFC welterweight champion, is tasked with the assignment of welcoming Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) back to the octagon from a nearly seven-year hiatus when they meet in a featured welterweight bout on the Sept. 25 pay-per-view card from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Prelims air on ESPNNews and stream on ESPN+.
The contest also doubles as an anticipated rematch. Lawler suffered a second-round knockout loss to Diaz at UFC 47 in April 2004 in what was his first career stoppage due to strikes. The chance to run it back excites Lawler, he said, but it’s not something he was seeking out. He’s by no means stewing over the outcome from 17 years ago, and he said he doesn’t take anything positive or negative away from that experience.
“Getting a fight, getting a win vs. him it doesn’t really matter what happened in the past – 17 years later it’s almost like it never happened,” Lawler told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “Obviously we’re very young at that time. He took the fight to me, hit me with some good shots and it wasn’t my night. I’ve grown a whole bunch. He’s developed his skills. It’s a different fight. Same guy, just a little different.”
There is plenty of historical subtext to Lawler vs. Diaz 2. It’s the longest gap between a first and second fight between athletes in UFC history, and it will also mark just the second time the company has put on a five-round fight that’s neither a title nor a main event.
Lawler said didn’t hesitate to accept a five-round bout. And despite having nine fights scheduled for 25 minutes during his UFC career, he doesn’t think it gives him much of an advantage, either.
Diaz is famously known for his durability and cardio, and Lawler doesn’t anticipate much change, even without having stepped in the octagon since January 2015. Diaz has experienced some troubling moments outside the octagon during his layoff, but all signs to him being in excellent condition ahead of UFC 266.
Lawler said he doesn’t foresee a dramatic drop-off in Diaz’s skills after the time off, and in fact, thinks it’ll be an upgrade from what he’s displayed in the past.
“I think he’s been training this whole time,” Lawler said. “He’s a guy that likes to dabble, help his brother out. He obviously has jiu-jitsu and a good jiu-jitsu game as well as boxing. I think he’s going to come in shape and bring his tools and try to beat my ass. … I think he’s going to be in shape, ready to go 25 minutes. That’s his makeup. He comes to fight. He likes to push pace. He can go 25.”
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Although much of the spotlight will rightfully revolve around Diaz’s comeback going into UFC 266, it’s an equally or arguably even more important bout for Lawler’s career. The 39-year-old has lost his past four fights – albeit against top-tier competition in Neil Magny, Colby Covington, Ben Askren, and Rafael dos Anjos – and has just one win dating back to July 2016.
“Ruthless” hasn’t competed since August 2020, and said at this point in his life he’s only eager to fight if it gets his juices flowing. The rematch with Diaz is one that ticked all the boxes for Lawler, and he has the utmost motivation to get back in the win column in a marquee bout.
“I think it’s going to be an exciting fight,” Lawler said. “Nick always comes to fight, he looks to get in your face. He’s a really good counter-puncher. He’s in shape. He can do it all, too. Good ground game, good stand-up. He comes to fight and he’s in shape. So I need to go out there and make sure I’m crisp and sharp and getting in there and getting my blows in.”
No one was safe from Jake Paul’s checklist – not boxers, UFC fighters, celebrities, nor family members.
In 2021, callouts are frequently given and received by YouTuber-turned-boxing-star [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag]. That’s nothing new.
However, Paul took things to the next level Saturday when he compiled a giant inventory of potential opponents – past, current, and future – he hopes to knock off his “hit list” as time goes on.
His three past opponents were listed, as well as his Aug. 29 opponent, Tyron Woodley. But there was a host of new names, as well, who ranged from UFC fighters to boxing champions to celebrities – and even a family member.
Nick Diaz is coming back next month, and the numbers behind his return are pretty bonkers.
[autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] is coming back next month, and the numbers behind his return are pretty bonkers.
Diaz hasn’t fought since January 2015. He hasn’t won a fight since October 2011. And he’s fighting a rematch against someone he first fought in April 2004.
Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) fights former welterweight champion [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] (28-15 MMA, 13-9 UFC) at UFC 266 in September. They first fought at UFC 47 in Las Vegas, where Diaz knocked Lawler out in the second round.
But given Diaz’s long time away, and Lawler’s recent struggles – he hasn’t won a fight in more than four years – what are we supposed to expect from the five-round rematch?
Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Nolan King, George Garcia, Mike Bohn and host John Morgan discussed that topic on this week’s episode.
Check out their thoughts in the video above, and don’t miss the full episode below:
