Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz successfully make weight for UFC 263, ahead of the middleweight and flyweight champions
At the UFC 263 weigh-ins, Nate Diaz and Leon Edwards were the first marquee matchup to make weight. Edwards stepped on the scale first and weighed in at 170.5 pounds, whereas Diaz came in at 170 pounds.
The welterweight duo made weight ahead of both champions, Israel Adesanya and Deiveson Figueiredo. All that is now left for Nate Diaz and Leon Edwards to do is put on a show at UFC 263 this Saturday.
The fight between the two will be the first-ever five-round non-title non-main event bout in UFC history. Nate Diaz was originally set to face 'Rocky' at the UFC 262 pay-per-view, but a minor injury forced the former to withdraw from the bout.
Following Diaz's withdrawal, the UFC confirmed that the 'West Coast Gangster' would face Edwards in Glendale, Arizona instead.
Nate Diaz will look to cause an upset at UFC 263
The fight at UFC 263 will be Nate Diaz's first bout since 2019, when he lost to Jorge Masvidal. His fight against 'Gamebred' ended in a controversial manner via a doctor's stoppage. Diaz is notorious for bleeding profusely, making the stoppage even more surprising.
The loss meant Nate Diaz failed to win the customized BMF belt. But 'The Stockton Slugger' made his intentions of competing at welterweight quite clear and got himself booked for a fight against Leon Edwards.
That being said, Edwards will head into the fight on the back of a controversial decision as well. In his last octagon outing, 'Rocky' fought Belal Muhammad to a No Contest after an accidental eye poke led to the bout's conclusion.
A win here would not only extend Edwards' winning streak but would also get him in line for a potential shot at the UFC welterweight championship. Edwards already has a loss to reigning champion Kamaru Usman and would love nothing more than to avenge his performance and potentially take the welterweight title from 'The Nigerian Nightmare.'