The Elder Diaz Brother is Officially Returning to The UFC… Who Should Welcome Him Back to Action?
Well, that turned out to be a whole load of nothing. Nick Diaz has had all charges dropped against him. The UFC veteran and fan-favorite was up on multiple charges related to domestic assault and domestic violence.
This has been ongoing over the last few months, preventing him from making his long-awaited turn to competitive action. However, one good thing is that the legal costs he’s had to deal with will definitely make him more likely to come back soon.
Diaz hasn’t fought since that meeting with Anderson Silva which saw both men hit with bans and what was originally a unanimous decision win for Silva overturned to a no-contest. Now that Stockton’s most compelling fighter is free to make his comeback, the main question to be answered is: who should he fight?
I’ll fight all you pussies make some money bitch
— nick diaz (@nickdiaz209) August 16, 2018
Comeback
This is serious: Diaz is genuinely coming back. In a statement after his court case ended, the Californian made it clear that it was a relief that it was all over. He still has his good name and he’s free to do what he does best. Diaz said:
“I’m grateful this case is finally over. I want to thank my team and my lawyer Ross Goodman for the excellent work. But most importantly, I want to thank my fans who stuck by me throughout this process. I’m happy to put this chapter of my life behind me, and I’m looking forward to focusing on my return.”
Now he looks finally set to give the fans what they want: a return to the Octagon.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmPZA2JD7eD/?hl=en&taken-by=nickdiaz209
Who Should He Fight?
The question of who he should fight is actually quite a difficult one and really depends on what weight division he decides to return to. He’s overwhelmingly spent his career at welterweight. However, his most recent fight – albeit being three years ago – was at middleweight. This presents a number of interesting options.
Starting at welterweight, Kevin Lee would definitely be an interesting option. ‘The Motown Phenom’ has been fast-tracked for success by the UFC and is surely set to move up at some point in the near future from lightweight. The Detroit native’s penchant for trash talk would make the promotion for a potential fight against Diaz very exciting. He’s also brutal in the octagon but could be undersized enough to make it competitive.
The Epic Rematch
This is one for the MMA purists, but there’s no doubt that a rematch against Georges St. Pierre would create massive interest. The pair has a toxic relationship and Diaz still claims to this day that St. Pierre’s team spiked his IV during his weight cut. Diaz would lose to GSP in his native Canada by unanimous decision. Considering St. Pierre fought at middleweight last, but is arguably the UFC’s greatest welterweight, there’s room to maneuver with this one.
Carlos Condit and Robbie Lawlor are two other reasonable options for the elder Diaz brother. Both would be tales of revenge – the first being Diaz’s, while the second would be Lawlors. They’d all be exciting action fights, and what more do fans want? Heck, you could even give him Donald Cerrone!
Elder Statesman
Let’s be honest though: he’s a million miles away from a title shot. Yes, you can hand Brock Lesnar one because the heavyweight division is so thin right now. However, Diaz would get steamrolled by the younger fighters at the top of the welterweight and middleweight rankings. He’d get steamrolled by anyone of Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington, or Robert Whittaker.
Instead, let’s enjoy what little remains of this 35-year old’s career. He’s one of the most fascinating characters in the sport and whoever he fights it will be more captivating than most title fights.
