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UFC analyst Daniel Cormier has voiced concerns over fan-favorite Nick Diaz’s upcoming return to the Octagon. Diaz is set to face Vicente Luque at UFC 310 on December 7, 2024, marking his first fight in over three years.
Diaz's last bout was in September 2021 at UFC 266, where he suffered a TKO loss to Robbie Lawler. Before that, he had a rough stretch, going 0-2-1, with decision losses to Carlos Condit at UFC 143 in 2012 and Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158 in 2013. His 2015 bout with Anderson Silva at UFC 183 was overturned to a no contest due to Silva’s failed drug test. Now, at 41 years old, Diaz is preparing to make his comeback, and Cormier has raised some concerns about his mental and physical readiness.
Speaking on an episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy, Cormier expressed his worries about Diaz’s mindset heading into this fight, hoping the veteran is truly prepared and won't embarrass himself in the process.
“The thing about Nick Diaz, for me, I want the guy from the pictures. Imma’ just say it,” Cormier explained. “I don’t want to see Nick Diaz who is just ripped. When he fought Robbie Lawler, I was so excited. I thought, ‘Man, he’s been back on the triathlons, and he looks even better than he did in his prime.’ But when he got to the Octagon, he looked nothing like that person. He looked like a guy pushing 40, who hadn’t fought in years, and I didn’t know if he still had that fight in him.”
Cormier continued by analyzing Luque, noting that although some believe he may be on the decline, Luque is still a formidable opponent. “Vicente Luque is thought to be on the decline. I kind of judged him based on how badly Joaquin Buckley beat him. But now, watching Buckley beat an 18-1 kid in St. Louis and dominate Stephen Thompson... I wonder if I was too quick to judge Luque.”
He also reflected on Diaz’s struggle against Lawler, who was nearing retirement at the time. “Nick Diaz struggled with Robbie Lawler, and Robbie was just one fight away from retiring. Vicente Luque isn’t going anywhere; it’s a tough fight. Nick has to be really locked in if he wants to go out there and not embarrass himself.”
With Diaz stepping back into the cage at 41, Cormier’s concerns highlight the uncertainties surrounding his readiness to face a tough opponent like Luque.
