The long-awaited return of Nick Diaz was fun while it lasted. The crowd erupted as soon as Diaz made his entrance, it is fair to say that Nick Diaz still has a lot of fans, even Conor McGregor was excited to see Nick Diaz get back in the Octagon.
This is tremendous! Let’s go @ufc! #TheOGLeague
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 26, 2021
The fight was great considering Diaz has been out of the game for too long and his prime years are not there anymore. Although in the opening bell, Diaz opened up with a spinning kick but Lawler somehow managed to read it and kept a safe distance.
Lawler’s active fighting really gave him the edge, he clearly looked like the faster and stronger of the two and once he lands something clean, Diaz felt it. It is either Diaz covers up or retreats until he recovers. Lawler was dictating the pace but Diaz also showed great striking.
What made the fight interesting was even though Diaz had ring rust, he still managed to land great shots that somehow land. When Diaz throws strikes, it looks either sloppy or slow but it still finds a way to hit Lawler, just shows how high-level Diaz’s striking is. 
Lawler invested in the body which paid dividends in the later rounds, he did mix it more but he was a different type of fighter compared to his last few fights. Lawler was more aggressive and did not wait for his opponents to strike. It was the vintage Lawler that hardcore fans were used to seeing.
Diaz still performed better than expected, to come out of a long suspension and at 38 years old and put on a competitive fight is something to be proud of. The problem is once he got cut, Diaz became more cautious and would not want to engage more. It was a matter of time till Lawler struck him that put him down. Lawler did not want any part of Diaz’s ground game so he wanted Diaz to get back on his feet.
Diaz did not want any part of the fight anymore and referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight. Lawler then went to Diaz to show respect and both hugged out to show class and sportsmanship. It was a fun fight and could possibly be the last time we see Nick Diaz fight inside the Octagon.
