(Yeah, we know that’s a different Diaz, but that doesn’t make the message any less valid. Props: jaylibbb)
After suffering back-to-back decision defeats in his last two fights against Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald, Nate Diaz will be dropping back to his original home at lightweight, according to UFC.com. Diaz’s return opponent will be Japanese MMA icon Takanori Gomi at UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage, September 24th in Denver. Gomi is coming off a submission loss to Clay Guida at UFC 125 in January, and has gone 1-2 overall in his current stint with the UFC.
Nate’s brother Nick previously faced Gomi at PRIDE 33 in one of the greatest bouts in MMA history; Diaz wore Gomi down in a gritty slugfest before tapping him in round 2 via gogoplata. The win was overturned and ruled a no-contest when Diaz tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight drug test. But come on, bro, we all saw what happened.
The Diaz brothers already have three opponents in common. Nick has scored victories over Joe Hurley (sub R1), Koji Oishi (KO R1), and Josh Neer (sub R3), while Nate has gone 2-1 against the same opposition, dropping a decision to Oishi in his second pro fight before defeating Joe Hurley (sub R2) and Josh Neer (split dec.).
A month after Nate takes on Gomi, Nick will challenge Georges St. Pierre for the UFC’s welterweight title.