Nick Diaz plans to be ‘a lot more sportsmanlike’ ahead of Robbie Lawler rematch at UFC 266
Ahead of his highly-anticipated Octagon return this weekend at UFC 266, former welterweight title challenger, Nick Diaz has promised to enter his showdown with past-foe and former undisputed champion, ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler — displaying a lot more sportsmanship than their initial April 2004 meeting.
Slated to make his first Octagon walk since January 2015 this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada — former Strikeforce and WEC middleweight champion, Diaz meets with former welterweight champion, Lawler in a rematch, 17-years in the making.
Last featuring against former middleweight champion, Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 183, Diaz suffered what was originally a unanimous decision defeat, before the ruling was overturned to an official ‘No Contest’ — after Silva tested positive for the banned substances, drostanolone and androsterone, whilst Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites.
Consistently linked with a much-anticipated Octagon return over the course of the last 18-months, Diaz is slated to snap his hiatus against past-opponent, Lawler, and ahead of the showdown, detailed how he plans to enter the pairing in a much more sportsmanlike manner.
“I’m not going out there to call him (Robbie Lawler) names or, you know,” Diaz said during an episode of UFC Countdown. “I’m going to be a lot more sportsmanlike, I think, out there (at UFC 266). But that’s not what won me the fight last time. That surprised him a little bit, but I would have won the fight anyways.“
Sharing the Octagon at UFC 47 back in 2003, Diaz, who made his Octagon bow, managed to stop the then-streaking, Lawler with an infamous second round knockout stoppage.
Featuring as the curtain-raiser ahead of a championship doubleheader this weekend, Diaz and Lawler clash in a five round welterweight rematch, before a flyweight title pairing of Valentina Shevchenko and Lauren Murphy — before a featherweight championship bout featuring Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega.
Senior writer for FightBook MMA. An aspiring mixed martial arts reporter based in Ireland. Producer of news articles, interviews, opinion features, and exclusive features such as, ‘The Fallout’, ‘The Breakdown, and, ‘This Week In MMA’.
