Nick Diaz discloses intention to make UFC comeback, claims he is down to fight Israel Adesanya nextÂ
UFC veteran Nick Diaz recently stated that he's planning on making his UFC comeback as soon as he possibly can.
Diaz and his brother Nate are legends of the octagon and are two of the biggest stars in the sport. Despite not holding accolades like some of the other fighters on the roster, both Nick and Nate Diaz are eternal fan favorites due to their devil-may-care fighting style.
The 39-year-old last fought at UFC 266 in 2021 when he faced former rival Robbie Lawler. The bout marked the end of his six-year hiatus away from the sport. Nick Diaz was denied a dream return, however, as he retired during the third round against 'Ruthless'.
In an interview with Inside Fighting, Diaz stated that he's feeling better than ever ahead of his UFC return. He explained that he's pushing for his comeback to be as soon as possible, as well as stating that he's down to face the best in the middleweight division:
"I'm asking to fight as soon as possible. Not Jon Jones though. Yeah, something like that [Israel Adesanya or Alex Pereira as potential opponents]. I always want to fight the best you know and they're the best."
Catch the interview here (0:20):
When Laura Sanko explained why she doesn't want to see Nick Diaz versus Israel Adesanya
ESPN analyst and the UFC's first female commentator of the modern era, Laura Sanko, stated back in December 2022 that she didn't want to see Nick Diaz face fighters like Israel Adesanya.
Diaz, at his peak, was a former UFC title challenger as well as a former Strikeforce, IFC and WEC champion. His last chance at gold was back in 2013 at UFC 158, where he lost to Georges St-Pierre via unanimous decision for the welterweight title.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Sanko explained that she'd rather see Diaz compete in a legend versus legend matchup than face some of the younger killers in the division:
"For guys like Nick, I like legacy-type fights. I like old school vs. old school type fights. I would not want to see him fight 'Izzy'... When we saw him come back last time, that would be the way I'd want to finish it. I don't mean to be retiring the guy because he's such a legend, but if I'm being honest, I want Nick to go on and have a great life and enjoy himself beyond MMA and beyond fighting."
Catch Sanko's comments here (27:00):