5 reasons why Nick Diaz should never fight in the UFC again
This weekend’s UFC 266 event saw Nick Diaz return to the octagon for the first time since 2015. Unfortunately, the Stockton native found himself stopped by strikes for the first time since 2002 at the hands of Robbie Lawler.
Following his loss to Lawler, should Nick Diaz continue to fight in the UFC or should this fight mark his final appearance in the octagon?
Nick Diaz leaves the Octagon after delivering a show, but falling short in his comeback fight at #UFC266 https://t.co/i6ziOP4IuK
The truth is that while the majority of Nick Diaz’s fans would love to see him return for one more run and would probably not be against him getting a UFC welterweight title shot, the safer route would be for him to stop fighting.
Whether Nick Diaz himself agrees with this is another thing entirely, of course, and a decision like this should never come lightly. However, here are five good reasons why Nick Diaz should never fight in the UFC again.
#5. Nick Diaz looked way past his best in his fight with Robbie Lawler
While many fans were expecting to see Nick Diaz in vintage form at UFC 266, the unfortunate truth is that he looked like a shadow of his old self in his clash with Robbie Lawler.
Alarm bells began to ring during the week leading up to the fight when some official UFC footage of Nick Diaz shadow-boxing appeared to suggest he wasn’t in the best physical shape. And when it was announced that his fight with Lawler was being changed into a middleweight bout, seemingly because Diaz couldn’t make the 170-pound weight limit, even more eyebrows were raised.
Those fears were largely made into reality on Saturday night. Sure, Nick Diaz showed some glimpses of his old self, most notably by landing some smooth punching combinations on Lawler as he attempted to back him up. But the old Nick Diaz would never have been corralled by a fighter like Lawler as he was at UFC 266. Nor would he have been incapable of returning as much fire as the fight got longer. The old Diaz was a cardio machine, whereas it was clear early on that this iteration was becoming tired.
And of course, Nick Diaz was once renowned for his durability, so to see him eventually fold, essentially after a delayed reaction, was absolutely disturbing.
See what @Ruthless_RL & @NickDiaz209 had to say after their highly anticipated rematch at #UFC266. https://t.co/7iAJopnx65
At the age of 38, to see Diaz slowing down is hardly a surprise, but nobody wants to see their heroes get old. And at UFC 266, Nick Diaz looked old and past his best, meaning he should probably step away now.