Nick Diaz may be making his UFC return in the near future, leaving fight fans wondering who the former Strikeforce welterweight champion will take on in his comeback fight.
Until then, the elder Diaz brother offered his thoughts on another huge fight fans are clamoring for between Conor McGregor and lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Diaz gave his prediction to boxing reporter Elie Seckbach during Saturday’s bout between Gennady Golovkin and Vanes Martirosyan (MMA Mania):
“That’s going to be a tough fight for both people. There is a lot of pressure for one guy. Khabib’s supposed to win. Because a guy like Conor, it takes a long time to develop a formula to deal with someone like Georges St-Pierre or Khabib. There’s a certain formula you have to use. You can’t just lay on your back. You have to turn over and you have to know how to deal with stuff.”
Diaz has plenty of experience fighting stellar wrestlers like Georges St. Pierre and knows the perils of being put on his back for five rounds. Diaz fought the former champion at UFC 158 and came up short after St. Pierre took down the Stockton native at will.
Like GSP, Nurmagomedov too implements a suffocating top game coupled with brutal ground-and-pound. Diaz and McGregor are both strikers without much wrestling in their game, however Nick has the benefit of being a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, whereas McGregor does not.
”The Notorious” hasn’t competed in MMA since winning the lightweight belt from Eddie Alvarez back in 2016. McGregor then tried his hand at professional boxing in a blockbuster defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year.
Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov has remained busy, ultimately defeating Al Iaquinta for the UFC lightweight strap at UFC 223 after Tony Ferguson pulled out last minute due to injury. However, McGregor never actually lost his title, meaning a fight between the two seems inevitable when the brash Irishman makes his UFC return.
Diaz’s USADA suspension for testing positive for marijuana following UFC 183 will be over in June, making him eligible to fight in just a few short weeks. No word yet on who Diaz will draw for his comeback fight.
Do you agree with Diaz’s assessment of a possible McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov fight?
