- Nick Diaz is planning to make an epic UFC return next year
- The 39-year-old pictures himself taking on Israel Adesanya in a title fight
Just when everybody thought Nick Diaz is already washed, the former UFC title contender refused to retire at age 39. In fact, Diaz had just revealed his plan to make a strong comeback in 2023 with hopes of landing former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
A resurgent Nick
Diaz last fought in the UFC last year after ending a six-year hiatus. However, he suffered a retirement TKO defeat to Robbie Lawler in their epic rematch at UFC 266. The former Strikeforce welterweight champ didn’t make any excuses for his underwhelming performance but later revealed that he had a serious neck injury during the fight with Lawler.
after a year of inactivity, Diaz swore to get back in there “better than ever.”
“You can see me back on top in 2023, I’m making a comeback,” Diaz said while attending Crazy Horse 3 in Las Vegas to watch UFC 282 via MMA Mania. “I’m going to be quicker than ever, stronger than ever, better than ever — I’m just gonna be a whole new me.”
Izzy is a good start
To further tease his fans, Diaz name-dropped Adesanya as one of his targets. According to Diaz, he will be gunning for the top guys in the UFC when he returns and “The Last Stylebender” could tick the boxes if he manages to reclaim his title from Alex Pereira.
“Whoever is on top at the time [I want], preferably Israel Adesanya, if he gets his title back,” Diaz continued.
Prior to Izzy, Diaz had already said he could beat Kamaru Usman and also offered to face Leon Edwards at UFC 269 after Jorge Masvidal’s withdrawal.
Diaz is a true legend of the sport and has already cemented his name in the list of MMA’s all time greats. His resume speaks for itself, having been a Strikeforce, WEC and IFC champion in the past. Though Diaz never won the chip in the UFC, he had shared the Octagon with some of his fellow MMA pioneers such as Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and BJ Penn. In the process, Diaz became one of the most celebrated UFC fighters of his generation.
As it stands, Diaz holds a 26-10-2 pro MMA record. It is yet to be known whether the UFC would give Diaz a nod in his plan to make a comeback, but given his legacy and superstardom, UFC president Dana White might consider giving him another shot.