Is the Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards fight at UFC 262 rescheduled?
The highly-anticipated clash between Nate Diaz (21-12-0) and Leon Edwards (18-3-0-1NC) was supposed to go down at UFC 262 on May 15, 2021. However, the Stockton native has reportedly been forced to pull out of the bout courtesy of a minor injury.
According to reports, Nate Diaz sustained an undisclosed injury, resulting in the UFC welterweight's withdrawal from the forthcoming co-main event at UFC 262 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
The bout against Leon Edwards has reportedly been rescheduled for UFC 263, slated to take place on June 12 in Glendale, Arizona. However, the UFC is yet to confirm this change.
Yahoo! Sports journalist Kevin Iole first broke the news via Twitter:
Furthermore, Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards will still be a five-round fight, despite the postponement. The bout will be the first five-round co-main event with no title on the line in the promotion's history.
When was Nate Diaz's last fight in the UFC?
Nate Diaz was last seen in the UFC cage at UFC 244 in 2019. The TUF Season 5 winner locked horns with Jorge Masvidal for the BMF (Baddest Motherf**ker) title. Diaz lost the five-round main event via TKO due to a doctor's stoppage.
Despite the controversial loss, Nate Diaz is still a big-draw UFC superstar, which is evident from the fact that the promotion has bent the rules by agreeing to a five-round non-title fight.
Nate Diaz's opponent, Leon Edwards, is currently ranked number three in the welterweight division. His last fight at UFC Vegas 21 was a no-contest against Belal Muhammad, due to an accidental eye poke. The Jamaican-origin athlete has lined up a nine-fight winning streak since 2015. His last loss came at the hands of the current welterweight king Kamaru Usman at 'UFC on FOX 17' on December 19, 2015.
If victorious against Edwards, Nate Diaz will propel himself into the 170-lbs title contention picture. Win or lose, the Stockton native has a plethora of interesting matchups awaiting him in the welterweight bracket.