Nick Diaz addresses a potential rematch with former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Diaz has not been seen in the Octagon since his bout with Silva in January 2015. The outcome was later overturned to a no contest after Silva tested positive for banned substances. On the flip side, Diaz failed a drug test in […]
Nick Diaz addresses a potential rematch with former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
Diaz has not been seen in the Octagon since his bout with Silva in January 2015. The outcome was later overturned to a no contest after Silva tested positive for banned substances.
On the flip side, Diaz failed a drug test in relation to that fight for marijuana. As a result, he was suspended 18 months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
It turns out that the former UFC middleweight champion wanted a bout against Diaz before his UFC 234 fight booking. However, that fight wasn’t able to be made. Diaz made it clear through the power of social media that he’s in party mode right now and has no interest in not only fighting Silva but competition in general.
”We’re getting drunk right now. F**k all this!” Nick said in an Instagram Story, swinging a bottle of tequila in front of the camera. Diaz added (H/T to MMAMania) “I don’t want to hurt nobody. I just want to party.”
Israel Adesanya scored a decision win over former UFC middleweight champion in the headliner of the UFC 234 pay-per-view event. This event took place on February 9, 2019 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
Nick Diaz has allegedly been arrested for domestic battery by strangulation in Las Vegas, according to police records.
Diaz hasn’t been active at all of late, having last competed at UFC 183 back in 2015. Rumors about Diaz placed him in Vegas going to different boxing gyms.
However, any perceived return could be held up by his recent arrest, news of which came from FrontRowBrian on Twitter:
It’s still unclear as of Friday afternoon who was the victim, and the elder Diaz brother hasn’t commented on it. FrontRowBrian did state the Diaz named in the arrest record was Diaz’ age and that he is often in Las Vegas.
A follow-up call to the Clark County Detention Center confirmed to LowKick MMA that a man with his name and exact birthdate of August 2, 1983, was indeed in custody.
Officer Larry Hadfield of the LVMPD office of public information told MMAjunkie that the alleged victim was female. Hadfield said officers responded to a call and were dispatched to a Las Vegas residence at approximately 7:20 p.m. PT., according to MMA Junkie.
The person with knowledge of the case told MMAjunkie that 12 units were dispatched to the scene, the alleged victim was transported to a local hospital and Diaz was combative with officers during his arrest.
The news broke Friday morning at 9:00 a.m., with Diaz being held on $15k bail for the strangulation charge and $3k bail for domestic battery.
The MMA world has been wondering whether or not Nick Diaz will ever return to fighting after a three-year hiatus following his no-contest against Anderson Silva back at UFC 183. That’s nearly an eternity when it comes to fight fans’ memories, but the appeal of the Stockton slugger has kept Diaz firmly in the conversation […]
The MMA world has been wondering whether or not Nick Diaz will ever return to fighting after a three-year hiatus following his no-contest against Anderson Silva back at UFC 183.
That’s nearly an eternity when it comes to fight fans’ memories, but the appeal of the Stockton slugger has kept Diaz firmly in the conversation despite the extended hiatus.
Diaz’ close friend and fellow MMA fighter Jake Shields is perhaps the best person to ask when it comes to the elder Diaz brother’s return, and according to him on a recent episode of The MMA Hour,thankfully, it looks like we’ll be seeing more Stockton slaps sooner than later:
“I think he will. I think he’ll fight again soon. I think he’s mentioned it in training a little bit. I haven’t been out there so I don’t know how much he’s been training but I’m pretty sure he’s been in the gym a decent amount and I would love to see him fight again. I think he’s still got some more in him. He hasn’t been training as much but he’s still in good shape and he can come back fast.”
“Nick is a hard person to predict. Only Nick really knows what he is going to do. People always ask ‘is Nick going to show up at a press conference?’ I’m like, ‘man, I can’t even tell you.’ Nic doesn’t even tell the people close to him, sometimes. He just kind of goes out and surprises everyone. Only Nick knows what he is going to do. If I had to guess I’d say he’ll fight again.”
Shields and Diaz are longtime members of “The Scrap Pack” alongside Nick’s younger brother Nate Diaz and Gilbert Melendez. The MMA landscape has changed drastically since Diaz’ suspension, with Tyron Woodley holding the welterweight belt and a slew of new faces populating the division.
The 34-year-old is a former Strikeforce welterweight champion and competed against former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre in a losing effort back at UFC 158.
Who would you like to see Nick Diaz fight upon his return?
Nick Diaz hasn’t stepped foot into the Octagon since his UFC 183 showdown with Anderson Silva back in 2015. Both men ended up failing drug tests, Silva for performance-enhancing drugs and Diaz for marijuana, a subsequent offense. Diaz and his brother Nate have always been a prickly pair but Nick has proven to be especially difficult […]
Nick Diaz hasn’t stepped foot into the Octagon since his UFC 183 showdown with Anderson Silva back in 2015. Both men ended up failing drug tests, Silva for performance-enhancing drugs and Diaz for marijuana, a subsequent offense.
Diaz and his brother Nate have always been a prickly pair but Nick has proven to be especially difficult to get back to fighting.
UFC VP of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky remains optimistic about Nick Diaz’s return, recently discussing his thoughts on the matter on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast:
“Nick was our first fighter that ran into the whereabouts issues. So he got three whereabouts failures in a rolling 12 months, so he’s currently going through that process. It’s a tough one.
“I think he does (want to fight). I think he does. I’ve sat down with him over the past couple months trying to resolve this whereabouts issues. The unfortunate thing there is, look, the whereabouts failures are there to catch people that are cheating and trying to avoid testing. I just think Nick’s lifestyle led to those three whereabouts, not that he was trying to avoid testing. We’re trying to work through that.”
Diaz is provisionally suspended due to failure to notify USADA of his whereabouts, but Novitzky believes he will compete again once the suspension ends.
UFC athletes must provide USADA with there whereabouts three times a year, something Diaz failed to do. However, Novitzky believes that Diaz’s negligence was probably due to the circle of friends and managers he keeps, people who ensure their fighter is on the up-and-up at all times:
“(Diaz) trusted certain individuals to do his whereabouts for him. What I think happened was, over time, those individuals were in and out of his life, and it was unbeknownst to him that he was missing all these things. But again, there’s strict liability here. He’s currently under sanction, but we’re hoping to resolve that pretty quick.”
Do you expect to see Nick Diaz fight in the UFC again?
Former longtime UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was scheduled to take on rising contender Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 212 this past June in his native Brazil, but the bout was scrapped after it was announced that Gastelum had failed a drug test. The UFC had tired to find a replacement opponent Silva, but nothing came […]
Former longtime UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was scheduled to take on rising contender Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 212 this past June in his native Brazil, but the bout was scrapped after it was announced that Gastelum had failed a drug test. The UFC had tired to find a replacement opponent Silva, but nothing came to fruition, and “The Spider” still does not have a fight set.
At 42 years of age, Silva, a man many consider to be the best fighter of all-time, has hit some rough times since losing his title in 2013. He clearly isn’t the same fighter, although he is coming off of a decision victory over Derek Brunson, and appears to be focused on continuing his career.
With that being said, “The Spider” recently took to his official Instagram account to call out Nick Diaz for a rematch:
A post shared by Anderson “The Spider” Silva (@spiderandersonsilva) on
Silva and Diaz faced off at UFC 183 in Jan. 2015 in a bout that Silva won via decision. The outcome was changed to a no-contest, however, when both men failed drug tests. Diaz ended up receiving the longer suspension, as the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) sent him to the sidelines for a whopping 18 months.
That suspension, however, ended last August and Diaz has been eligible to once again compete for about a year now, although he hasn’t shown much interest in doing so.
If the Stockton native is indeed interested in returning, would you like to see him run it back with Silva?
With the UFC currently dealing with a lack of available stars, one would have to assume that the promotion is doing everything it can to lure former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz back to the Octagon – and that may indeed be the case. After all, we all know how difficult it is to negotiate with
With the UFC currently dealing with a lack of available stars, one would have to assume that the promotion is doing everything it can to lure former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz back to the Octagon – and that may indeed be the case. After all, we all know how difficult it is to negotiate with a Diaz brother.
Diaz hasn’t competed since a 2015 decision loss to former longtime middleweight champion Anderson Silva. After the fight, however, it was made clear that both men had failed drug tests, leading the result of the bout to be changed to a no contest. Diaz was originally handed a ludicrous five -year suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), but that was later changed to an 18-month suspension that expired last August.
With that being said, Diaz has essentially been eligible to compete for nearly 10 months now, but there has been little said in regards to his potential return.
When fantasizing about what it might take to get one of the UFC’s most outspoken stars back in the Octagon, it’s difficult to formulate a clear answer. If you think a title fight is the answer, you’re probably wrong. Diaz has never been focused on titles, but he’s instead shown interest in only big fights and big money.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at five fights that could realistically draw Nick Diaz back to the Octagon:
Rematch with Georges St. Pierre
It’s not uncommon for Diaz to engage in a battle of verbal warfare with his opponent, and his most popular rivalry came against former longtime welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.
The two clearly had ill will towards each other, and it showed in the lead-up to their UFC 158 bout, which took place on March 16, 2013.
Despite the exciting promotion, however, the bout didn’t deliver on fight night. St. Pierre ended up scoring a dominant one-sided decision victory, as Diaz simply had little to offer the stifling Canadian.
St. Pierre only fought once more after defeating Diaz, going into a self-imposed “retirement” after his highly controversial split-decision victory over Johny Hendricks seven months later. “Rush” hasn’t fought since, but he has announced that he will be making his return to action in the near future. In fact, UFC President Dana White announced earlier this year that St. Pierre would be returning in a middleweight title fight against Michael Bisping, but that doesn’t seem to be the plan anymore.
St. Pierre is now in need of an opponent for his return bout, and both Diaz and himself still represent big names in the sport. Perhaps renewing an old rivalry would be enough to bring Diaz back to the fight game.
Rematch with Anderson Silva
Like his bout with St. Pierre, Diaz’s bout with Anderson Silva at UFC 183 in Jan. 2015 didn’t turn out as many had hoped it would, although it was still a big fight between two marquee names that sold somewhat well on pay-per-view.
Since that fight, Diaz has not competed. Silva, on the other hand, has lost two of his three bouts since then, dropping back-to-back decision losses to middleweight champion Bisping and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. His most recent fight, however, resulted in a victory, as he outpointed Derek Brunson this past February at UFC 208.
At age 41, Silva’s skills and physical attributes have clearly began to decline, but like St. Pierre, he still represents a well-known name in the sport. “The Spider” has also expressed interest in a rematch with Diaz.
This fight would likely provide the Stockton native with a solid payday and it may be enough to draw him back to his old stomping grounds.
Title fight with Tyron Woodley
While it has seemed that titles don’t necessarily matter the most to Diaz, a title fight would certainly be a far more lucrative option than other fights. As a natural welterweight, a fight with reigning 170-pound champion Tyron Woodley could be an intriguing option for Diaz.
After winning the title last July with a brutal knockout victory over Robbie Lawler, Woodley quickly expressed interest in a bout with Diaz. Since then, he has put his title on the line twice, fighting to a majority draw with Stephen Thompson last November before scoring a decision victory over Thompson in their rematch this past March. He is expected to take on grappling wizard Demian Maia next, but a bout with Diaz would undoubtedly provide him with a far more lucrative option.
Money has proven to rule in today’s UFC landscape and a bout between Woodley and Diaz would represent one of the most enticing options at 170 pounds, at least from a financial aspect, which is why it may interest Diaz.
Title fight with Michael Bisping
Diaz has also competed at 185 pounds, and similarly to why a bout with Woodley may interest him, a bout with middleweight champion Bisping may get his blood flowing as well.
“The Count” has taken quite a roundabout way towards becoming champion of the middleweight division, and his title run has been just as strange. Stepping in on short notice at UFC 199 last year, Bisping stunned the world by knocking out Luke Rockhold to steal the title. He then defended the title with a decision victory over Dan Henderson last October in a bout that drew quite a bit of criticism due to the fact that “Hendo,” although a legend, was ranked No. 14 at the time.
Most recently, he was booked against St. Pierre in another bout that drew some criticism, although that fight has seemed to have fallen through. If the UFC were to book Bisping against Diaz, backlash may follow, but once again, it would sell.
Bisping and Diaz are two of the most polarizing trash talkers in the history of mixed martial arts. The promotion for a bout between the two of them would likely produce fireworks. Also, the two are polished volume punchers with bottomless gas tanks.
Perhaps this would be the fight to revive Diaz’s career.
Fight with Conor McGregor
I was hesitant to put this option on the list due to Conor McGregor’s history with Diaz’s younger brother Nate.
Nate shocked the MMA world at UFC 196 last year when he submitted the Irishman on less than two weeks’ notice. McGregor then scored a majority decision victory in the rematch between the two last August at UFC 202. A trilogy should possibly be an option down the road.
While Nick has indeed said that McGregor is Nate’s rival, the “Notorious” one represents the biggest money opponent in MMA, and Diaz loves money. The backstory behind a fight between McGregor and the elder Diaz brother would also be unparalleled.
Although it may be the least likely option on this list, I’d have to assume, if made possible, this fight would draw Diaz back to the cage.
Who would you like to see Nick Diaz fight if he were to make a return to MMA?
