Nate Diaz may be back inside the Octagon soon.
Diaz hasn’t competed since Aug. 2016. He dropped a majority decision to Conor McGregor in a rematch at UFC 202. Almost two whole years later, Diaz could be back in the fold.
ESPN.com reports that Diaz and the UFC have discussed a possible return for Aug. 4 at UFC 227. The card will be headlined by a bantamweight title rematch between champion T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt. The main card will be aired live on pay-per-view.
Diaz has gone 2-1 in his last three outings. Those wins were a unanimous decision over Michael Johnson and a submission victory over McGregor. Both McGregor fights were contested at welterweight. Despite the inactivity, Diaz holds the eighth spot in the lightweight rankings.
Speculation is bound to run rampant on who Diaz could possibly face. Eddie Alvarez is available. The two were linked to a bout for UFC 211, but Diaz and the UFC couldn’t come to terms. Dustin Poirier, who is coming off a TKO victory over Justin Gaethje, is also an option. Kevin Lee is fresh off a dominant victory over Edson Barboza. “The Motown Phenom” has expressed interest in a bout with Diaz in the past.
UFC 227 will take place inside the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The last time the UFC made a trip to the Staples Center was back in Feb. 2015. In that event, Ronda Rousey submitted Cat Zingano in 14 seconds. Other than Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt II, there are no other match-ups announced for UFC 227.
Stick with MMANews.com for the latest details on UFC 227 as they become available. We’ll cover fight announcements, potential changes, quotes, and more. Of course when fight night arrives, we’ll also be posting live results, highlights, and post-fight tidbits as well.
If Nate Diaz competes at UFC 227, who should be his opponent?
