UFC 266 is expected to be one of the best cards of the year, with two title fights and the highly-anticipated return of welterweight fan-favorite Nick Diaz against one of his old rivals, Robbie Lawler.
The fight marks the return of Diaz after years away from the sport, and Lawler’s return to the octagon for the first time since losing to Neil Magny in Aug. 2020. While the Diaz vs. Lawler five-round bout isn’t the main or co-main event, it’s arguably the biggest fight on the card because of name-value and nostalgia for longtime fans of the sport of MMA.
The UFC promoted the bout in a cinematic fashion with a chilling trailer.
A lot has happened since Diaz and Lawler first squared off in the octagon back in 2004 at UFC 47, with Diaz earning the knockout win in the second round in a highly competitive fight to that point. Lawler went on a roll on his way to the UFC welterweight title, a belt in which he defended twice against Carlos Condit and Rory MacDonald.
Diaz was in and out of the UFC with multiple stints in the UFC’s welterweight title picture, including an eventual welterweight title shot against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158. He would back away from the sport for two years until 2015 when he moved up to middleweight to fight Anderson Silva in a fight that was later ruled a no-contest. Diaz’s fight at UFC 266 will be his first since the Silva bout.
Diaz and Lawler have always been known as two of the most forward-pushing fighters in the UFC, with the two of them rarely having boring octagon appearances, win-or-lose. Both have incredible boxing that should put on another spectacular show at UFC 266.
The card will also feature a featherweight title bout between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, along with flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko facing top contender Lauren Murphy.
What is your early prediction for Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler 2?