Mixed martial arts enthusiasts had a variety of reactions in the aftermath of Nick Diaz and Tony Ferguson having their UFC returns announced.
Both Diaz and Ferguson will be looking to return to winning ways at the upcoming UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on August 3, but in different matchups.
The former, who is without a win in 13 years and has competed just twice since a title loss to Georges St-Pierre in 2013, will make his first appearance inside the Octagon since an unsuccessful comeback against Robbie Lawler in 2021.
While that saw him square off with a fellow veteran, and do so in unimpressive fashion, Diaz's latest comeback is set to see him throw down with ranked competition in Vicente Luque, who is less than a year removed from a five-round win over Rafael dos Anjos.
"El Cucuy," meanwhile, has been much more active in recent years, but equally as unsuccessful.
Since the start of 2020, the former interim champion has lost seven straight fights, the most recent of which came opposite rising prospect Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296 last December. He'll look to bounce back in the Middle East by adding to the woes of Michael Chiesa.
MMA Fans Concerned As Diaz & Ferguson Gear Up For UFC Returns
While fight announcements for Diaz and Ferguson would have formally been met with intrigue and excitement, that is seemingly no longer the case.
Instead, plenty of fans expressed concern over the two 40-year-olds returning to the cage, especially given their opponents. A number of fans questioned why the promotion didn't simply match them together.