Nate Diaz is set to take on Leon Edwards at UFC 262, on May 15.
Just like that, Nate Diaz is back.
In a report that came out of nowhere, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani rrvealed that the Stockton brawler will return to the Octagon for his first fight since November 2019 to take on none other than welterweight top contender Leon Edwards at UFC 262. Furthermore, the fight will make UFC history as being the first ever five-round non-title co-main event.
Nathan Diaz vs. Leon Edwards is set for UFC 262 on May 15 in Houston, per sources.
And, in a twist, the fight will be the first five-round non-title co-main event in UFC history.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 31, 2021
In his last outing, Nate Diaz (20-12) got TKO’d due to a doctor stoppage against Jorge Masvidal, back in November 2019 for the ‘BMF’ belt. Before the defeat, the 35-year-old had picked up a unanimous decision victory over former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, in August of the same year.
After almost two years away from the cage, Leon Edwards (18-3-1 NC) returned to the Octagon earlier this month against Belal Muhammad, but the match was interrupted and deemed a no contest when an accidental eye poke left Muhammad unable to continue in the second round. Before that, ‘Rocky’ was on an eight-fight winning streak, which includes wins over former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and contender Donald Cerrone, among others.
UFC 262 is scheduled to be headlined by a title fight for the vacant lightweight belt between former Bellator champion Michael Chandler and top contender Charles Oliveira. The event is scheduled for May 15th in front of an expected full capacity crowd at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.