The mixed martial arts (MMA) world has been abuzz this week with the news that Nate Diaz will reportedly return to action at August’s UFC 227. As usual, however, Dana White is cautioning us to pump the brakes. According to the UFC president via Yahoo’s Kevin Iole, the news of Diaz is no news, because the […]
As usual, however, Dana White is cautioning us to pump the brakes.
According to the UFC president via Yahoo’s Kevin Iole, the news of Diaz is no news, because the promotion has been offering him a fight every three to four months as they have been since he faced Conor McGregor at UFC 202 in 2016, and it’s the same denial it’s always been:
Also, @danawhite didn’t seem to think much of the news about UFC negotiating a fight with Nate Diaz. “We offer him a fight every 3 or 4 months and have ever since his last fight. Nothing is going on.”
So White insists that Diaz isn’t coming back anytime soon and that there’s nothing to see here.
Interesting.
So interesting, in fact, that some would interpret that as an almost certain confirmation that Diaz will indeed be returning to the octagon sometime very soon. If and when he does, it would seem likely he’s matched up with one of a trio of top-ranked lightweights consisting of Kevin Lee, Dustin Poirier, and Eddie Alvarez.
All three of those fighters are elite lightweights who have won recent bouts by stoppage; Diaz hasn’t fought at lightweight since late 2015.
That may have Diaz rating as the underdog in all three match-ups due to his inactivity. To see how he matches up with all three, check out our match-up breakdowns involving Diaz right here.
Earlier this week, news arrived that absent UFC fan favorite Nate Diaz was in serious talks to finally make his return at August 4’s UFC 227 from Los Angeles, California. The report was met wit ha mixed bag of reactions ranging from extreme excitement and optimism to a tentative sense of uncertainty based on the […]
The report was met wit ha mixed bag of reactions ranging from extreme excitement and optimism to a tentative sense of uncertainty based on the many stop-and-start, so-called returns Diaz was supposed to be making in the nearly two years since he last set foot into the cage to face Conor McGregor for a second time, losing a close majority decision at August 2016’s UFC 202.
But the overall consensus in MMA media circles that this was indeed the time Diaz was seriously considering coming back to for the pay-per-view event in his home state of California. Speculation about him facing a trio of top lightweights including Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier, and Kevin Lee began to swirl, and there’s little doubt that each match-up would provide its own benefits both in and out of the cage.
Each fight would be huge – make no mistake about that – because Diaz has the pre-installed attention of his feud with McGregor. The heat for their oft-discussed trilogy bout has cooled quite substantially due to the inactivity of both fighters, and while it could still happen one day, it’d be foolish to book it right now rather than striking when the iron was once again heated up. So Diaz will most likely fight one of the three aforementioned lightweights if and when he does return, yet it’s simply fair to ask if he can still hang with the top of the UFC’s most talented division at this point in time.
The story revealed that both McGregor and champion Khabib Nurmagomedov were not two of the names rumored to be facing Diaz. We know he can hang with McGregor and then some; most of his mainstream appeal obviously grew out of his shocking second-round submission over the Irishman at UFC 196, and he followed it with a narrow loss in a fight some thought he should have had his hand raised. Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, would be a completely different story with his relentless takedowns and smothering top game. He won’t be fighting Diaz soon, however, so we’ll discuss that at a later date.
So the issue in Diaz’s return to lightweight supremacy lies in his ability to defeat No. 5 Lee, No. 4 Poirier, and No. 3 Alvarez.
First of all, Diaz hasn’t competed in the lightweight division (his two bouts against McGregor were at welterweight) since he looked great while winning a unanimous decision over Michael “The Menace” Johnson in December 2015. Although a powerful striker who knocked out Poirier himself, Johnson is now unranked in the lightweight division and has recently cut down to featherweight, losing his first 145-pound bout to unlikely contender Darren Elkins. He’s lost five of his last six bouts.
Photo Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
If he came back against Lee, it would be an entertaining, trash talk-filled buildup, but also the worst match-up for him. Diaz has had trouble against those with dominant, stifling top games, namely in his bouts against former lightweight champions Rafael dos Anjos and Benson Henderson. Lee doesn’t yet have the striking versatility of “Smooth,” but he’s rapidly improving into his athletic prime at 25, and his blanketing wrestling game is more dominant and stoppage-focused than Henderson’s was in his prime.
Lee has won six out of his past seven fights and has never looked better than he did battering Edson Barboza in the main event of April 21’s UFC Atlantic City. He’s also the lowest ranked of the three potential opponents and has yet to break through as a true star (not due to lack of effort on his part, however), so a match-up with “The Motown Phenom” probably isn’t the best choice for Diaz right now.
Photo: Mark J. Rebilas for USA TODAY Sports
A bout with the No. 4-ranked “Diamond” could be a significantly better one. Although Poirier has won three out of his last four fights, seven of his past nine, and is coming off of a rousing stoppage win over Justin Gaethje on April 14, his style would play into Diaz’ skills the best.
Poirier is often lured into slugfests, evident by the sheer amount of damage he took from Gaethje and many others, and he rarely stops coming forward throwing high-volume power punches. Diaz would gladly oblige him to throw down in a draining boxing match on the feet because while he’s not known for his power, he is one of the best volume punchers in MMA and his cardio obviously never slows down.
The more I think about this fight, the more I believe it would be an absolute treat for fans and a perfect addition to UFC 227.
There’s Alvarez, the former champion who claims he hasn’t been offered a Diaz fight and won’t be competing until he gets a new contract anyway. A former UFC champion who had no title defenses, Alvarez is coming off of his own rousing victory over Gaethje at last December’s UFC 218, but with constant calling out of “The Eagle” and his refusal to fight, it’s anyone’s guess as to when and against whom he’ll come back. He does have the most built-in backstory with Diaz, however, as the two were linked to a bout that Alvarez claims the Stockton star turned down (like many other top contenders in the lightweight division have lately).
It sounds like a lot of demands from a man who’s 1-1(1) in his last three, but the UFC will most likely come to an agreement with Alvarez eventually, and seeing him face Diaz with a potential title shot on the line would be an exciting bout. Alvarez has the striking to mix it up with anyone, but he’s also shown the ability to make fights ugly (read: boring) in order to pick up the win as he did in his bouts against Diaz’ teammate Gilbert Melendez and fellow former champion Anthony Pettis.
As noted, Diaz has been susceptible to those kinds of fighters in before, so a bout with him could turn into an ugly affair if Alvarez chooses to play it safe and get a huge win. Nevertheless, it’d be a great match-up with an awesome build-up.
Finally, there’s the welterweight match-up with returning champ Tyron Woodley. Even though it’s ridiculous to think Diaz would deserve a title shot a weight class above his usual after a loss almost two years ago, it could still happen. Woodley is returning from shoulder surgery, and while the UFC will crown an interim champion when Rafael dos Anjos meets Colby Covington at June’s UFC 225 from Chicago, “The Chosen One” has stated he wants to return sometime soon – most likely sooner than the winner of dos Anjos vs. Covington would.
So Woodley vs. Diaz could become a reality. if it did, Diaz would be at a severe disadvantage to the champion, an NCAA wrestler who walks around at upwards of 200 pounds. He’s one of the hardest hitters in the world as well, and while Diaz has a respected chin, taking shots from larger fighters like the welterweight champ after a two-year layoff does not predict to end well for the younger Diaz brother.
Regardless, it’d be a huge spectacle of a fight that would make UFC 227 must-see TV, something that can’t be said about the majority of UFC programming – at least in the eyes of most – over the past two years.
So Diaz may or may not be able to hang with the top wrestlers at lightweight, and he has less of a chance to beat Woodley in that area of MMA. No matter what, people would tune in with excitement to watch Diaz’ return, so maybe it doesn’t matter how he matches up with the big names at 155 pounds.
Just don’t be surprised to see his legions of faithful fans let down.
Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar managed to get back on track after a devastating knockout loss to Brian Ortega in March. Seven weeks later, Edgar defeated Cub Swanson a second time, and now “The Answer” wants another shot at featherweight gold. Edgar has lost twice to former divisional kingpin Jose Aldo but has otherwise cleared out […]
Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar managed to get back on track after a devastating knockout loss to Brian Ortega in March.
Seven weeks later, Edgar defeated Cub Swanson a second time, and now “The Answer” wants another shot at featherweight gold.
Edgar has lost twice to former divisional kingpin Jose Aldo but has otherwise cleared out the rest of the division outside of Ortega and Holloway.
“The Answer” made recently his case for the winner of UFC 226’s 145-pound title tilt during this week’s edition of The MMA Hour:
“I still think I’m the guy. S**t, I risked that shot, maybe I shouldn’t have like people said, but I’m going to do it every single time. I still believe I can win that fight (with Ortega). I was doing well in that fight, obviously I got caught and Ortega did a good job of finishing.
“But yeah, I want the winner. I think I deserve it. I’m No. 3. We’ll see what happens.”
The loss to Ortega marked the first time Edgar had ever been knocked out or finished in a fight. At the time, Edgar was already the next in line to fight Holloway, but he took the Ortega fight anyway in a high-risk, low-reward matchup for the former champ.
Do you think Edgar deserves a title shot after winning the Swanson rematch?
Or will “The Answer” have to rack up another win or two to fully erase the Ortega KO?
Former WEC and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo nearly hung up his gloves for good after his second TKO loss to current champion Max Holloway. Holloway has defeated Aldo twice in a row by TKO, most recently at lasts December’s UFC 218, and the second time almost pushed Aldo to retirement. Aldo discussed his thoughts following […]
Former WEC and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo nearly hung up his gloves for good after his second TKO loss to current champion Max Holloway.
Holloway has defeated Aldo twice in a row by TKO, most recently at lasts December’s UFC 218, and the second time almost pushed Aldo to retirement.
Aldo discussed his thoughts following UFC 218 and why he’s continuing to fight as he prepares for his first non-title fight in nearly a decade (via MMA Fighting):
”After the fight, I took some time for myself, to think and stay with my family. Two weeks later, I met with my coaches, sat down with everyone. I asked what they thought, if it was time to stop or not. We decided to move forward. The next day I was in the gym.”
”I think I still have much wood to burn, full capacity to go there and fight for the title again. I still have four fights left in the contract. I want to do at least three this year. I want to get to the third fighting for the title, be champion again. Then, in the future, I think about retiring or not.”
Aldo entered the UFC and was immediately crowned as champion of the 145-pound division after the UFC bought and absorbed the WEC back in 2010. Aldo had been featherweight champion in the WEC and managed to reign over the weight class for six years in total.
Aldo lost his belt following a 13-second knockout loss at the hands of rival Conor McGregor at UFC 194 but managed to recapture the interim featherweight title after defeating Frankie Edgar for a second time at UFC 200.
Aldo has gone winless since the Edgar rematch and has now lost three of his last four fights by some form of knockout.
Thankfully, Aldo found his motivation to fight again after meeting with his team and coaches and is now set to fight Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens in his first non-title fight in years.
Aldo and Stephens will meet in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 30 on July 28 in Calgary.
Max Holloway is back with another jab at absent UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor. Last week “The Notorious” posted on Instagram that he was definitely returning to MMA, and had even offered to replace Holloway and fight Frankie Edgar in the main event of this weekend’s (Sat., March 3, 2018) UFC 222 from the T-Mobile Arena […]
Max Holloway is back with another jab at absent UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.
Last week “The Notorious” posted on Instagram that he was definitely returning to MMA, and had even offered to replace Holloway and fight Frankie Edgar in the main event of this weekend’s (Sat., March 3, 2018) UFC 222 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
However, the bout never materialized due to the UFC supposedly not having enough time to promote the event, and that left Edgar’s manager Ali Abdel-Aziz and coach Mark Henry blasting the claims in their own respective social media tirades.
Andel-Aziz claimed McGregor did truly offer to fight at UFC 222 but only if he could compete for a newly-created 165-pound belt, a division that has never been in the UFC.
Edgar soon revealed that McGregor’s post was the first he had heard about it, offering his own doubts that it was ever a realistic possibility considering he hadn’t heard from his employers about the potentially massive fight. But McGregor’s longtime training partner and friend Artem Lobov insisted that their camp was preparing to train and that the fight was “very, very close.”
“The Russian Hammer” reiterated that stance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani on Monday, but the featherweight champ isn’t buying it whatsoever. After recently trolling McGregor with a photo of him being stopped by Floyd Mayweather after “The Notorious” had posted a photo of their 2013 match-up where he defeated a young Holloway, “Blessed” fired back with another comedic response.
Although he’s injured and unable to compete this weekend, Holloway blasted McGregor’s claims that he would fill in on the card by offering a laughable scenario where he would amputate his leg in order to fight 125-pound champion Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson for a newly-created 115-pound belt:
One more update @arielhelwani. After I was pulled from 222, I offered to amputate my leg and fight for a 115lb belt against DJ. It was very very close. Plans were in place. But I was told there wasn’t enough time. Stay blessed, The DEFENDING Champ (no need TM what he can't claim) https://t.co/iFCB2NcHFA
Solid work from “Blessed,” who was many fans and media members’ pick for 2017’s “Fighter of the Year” after two impressive third-round stoppages of all-time great Jose Aldo.
He no doubt wants a rematch with McGregor, and with stinging social media barbs like this, he could have an outside shot at getting one.
Of course, the infamous Irishman will have to commit to returning first, and even though he appeared to do just that on social media, nothing is close to confirmed.
UFC 222, meanwhile, will go forward with a short-notice women’s featherweight title fight between Cris Cyborg and Yana Kunitskaya from Las Vegas this weekend.
After losing the title to Rose Namajunas at last November’s UFC 217, former dominant UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk began a veritable media tour explaining why a botched, drastic weight cut was to blame for her first-round knockout loss to ‘Thug.’ She detailed her experience of having to cut 15 pounds in only 14 […]
After losing the title to Rose Namajunas at last November’s UFC 217, former dominant UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk began a veritable media tour explaining why a botched, drastic weight cut was to blame for her first-round knockout loss to ‘Thug.’
She detailed her experience of having to cut 15 pounds in only 14 hours before the fight, leading to her experiencing numbness in her legs and ultimately firing her nutritionists, Perfecting Athletes.
But that wasn’t all.
Yesterday, Jedrzejczyk doubled down on the blame game by claiming that her doctor had failed her before the fight, creating a web of finger pointing that really could not be quantified, and also one that was a moot point by now. Jedrzejczyk will meet Namajunas again in an immediate rematch at April 7’s UFC 223 from Brooklyn and will have her chance to quiet her doubters by winning back her coveted belt.
Until then, however, her detractors are going to keep doubting her blaming. One such person is UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje, who, as a friend of Namajunas, may be a bit biased but also knows the ins and outs of the fight game himself. “The Highlight” recently discussed Jedrzejczyk’s recent blaming with MMA Fighting, noting that cutting weight is simply part of a fighter’s job, making the blame fall solely on her at the end of the day.
To him, it was weak-minded to publicly bring it up:
“I don’t know her or what happened to her, so I can’t judge her for it. I think she’s weak-minded for saying it, even if it is true. It’s her own business. And no matter what, it could be true to the core and you could have proof, who’s going to [care]? Like, I’m not going to support you. Okay, whose fault was it? At the end of the day, whose fault was it? It was your fault. Do you have a scale at your house? Then you get to step on the scale every single morning, just like every single one of us do. We worry about our weight the whole camp, and I’ve never had a nutritionist help me in my entire life.
“I made weight in college eating McDonalds every day. It’s willpower. You either f*cking do it or you don’t do it. Like, the nutritionist does not cut the weight for you. And yeah, it could be detrimental to your performance, so if she did cut a tremendous amount of weight, then I’m sure that she suffered tremendously, and I am excited to see Rose fight the best Joanna whenever she doesn’t f*ck up and f*ck her weight cut up.”
Gaethje clarified his stance on the matter, adding that Jedrzejczyk knew Namajunas had cut and made weight, ultimately making whatever reason for her miss an excuse:
“Because she knows that Rose cut weight. She knows that Rose made weight. And at the end of the day, it is an excuse. Even if it’s fact, it’s still an excuse, because it was still her fault. So, I mean, as a wrestler — I’m not calling Joanna weak-minded, I’m saying that statement is weak-minded.”
Fans will see whether or not Jedrzejczyk’s insistence on passing the blame is real or not when she rematches Namajunas in just over a month. While Gaethje acknowledges her skill as one of the best in her class, he also believes Namajunas will prove her first win was no fluke because she has the former ‘Joanna Champion’ figured out:
“It’s a fight. [Jedrzejczyk] is one of the highest-level fighters in that weight class in the world,” Gaethje said. “Anybody in the top-five can beat each other on any given night in this sport. So I think she has a possibility (to win), but I don’t think — she can’t just go and change her whole (style). She can’t change the way her feet move. And Rose beat her because of the way her feet move, because she could time the way her feet move, and Rose is going to do the same thing with her feet.
“She’ll get her reaching, and then she’ll get her overreaching, then she’ll come in while she’s overreaching and capitalize. There’s no other way for it to go.”
