Nick Diaz to Return to Welterweight Division Following June 6th Catchweight Bout
Nick Diaz, who defeated former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock via second-round TKO in a 179-pound catchweight bout in April, will return to the 170-pound welterweight division following his June 6th 180-pound catchweight showdown with Scott Smith.
From Diaz’s trainer Cesar Gracie:
“With a title fight against Cung Le nowhere on the horizon Nick will probably be going back down to the 170lbs division. I know there’s been speculation about a rematch with Robbie Lawler, but Diaz will be dropping weight as he picks up his running and cardio training.
As far as a return to lightweight is concerned, forget it. Unless BJ Penn or some other mega fight comes up he won’t return to that weight class. It just isn’t healthy. He was having terrible performances against B-level fighters. The weight drop was causing lots of health related problems and he wasn’t performing to his ability. If you put Anderson Silva at lightweight he’d get crushed cause he’d enter the cage half dead. Now we got guys that are running around bragging about how good they did with Diaz when he was a lightweight.
After this fight we’ll have Nick drop back down to 170lbs and probably stay there unless Strikeforce has something interesting for him.”
In related news, IFL veteran Jay Hieron, a winner of four-straight including a first-round knockout of Jason High at Affliction: Day of Reckoning in January, recently told MMAjunkie he accepted the June bout with Diaz before Scott Smith was tapped for the matchup. According to Hieron, who was also offered a spot in the DREAM welterweight grand prix, he’s now likely to return at Affliction’s third show on August 1st or 15th.
Tags: Jay Hieron, Nick Diaz
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wouldnt mind seeing nick back in the UFC, but i guess hes allways had problems with them. Him vs carlos condit would be amazing.
lawls he’ll never be back in the UFC. Dana just dosn’t like how Nick handles his noodle.
Only reason why id like to see him back in teh UFC is for someone to hand him his ass…. diaz is a douche.
I don’t know if this is considered fighter bashing but i like diaz about as much as i like a cankor sore.And i don’t care were or what weight class he fights at,i hope he gets whiped.The very thought of his ego getting inflated anymore disturbes me.And it’s not like a brock lesner hate,because i know brock is a force and i will tune in every time to see him perform.I always felt nick was a bit overated IMO.
actually diaz would probably be near the top of the division his jui jitsu and his striking are really good lately and i really dont like diaz either but i think he would be at least top 5 or top 8 in the ufc ww or mdw which ever one he fought at and i can actually see him being a good fight for anderson……
I agree that Diaz would be top eight at WW in the UFC, and maybe top ten at MW, but his ego can’t deal with not being the top dog in the promotion. I think that is part of the reason he turned the UFC down back a few years ago when they offered him a contract, he knew he couldn’t be top dog there. He’d rather be a big fish in a small pond than a medium fish in a big pond, then he can talk all the junk he wants about “if they co-promoted I could beat so and so in the UFC” and never have to back it up.
Also, he lost to KJ Noons… and you don’t think A. Silva would eat his lunch standing?
Just like justin said I agree on all ur points except…Anderson Silva point… Silva would create new scare tissue on his recently perfected face haha
I would like to see nick in the ufc only because I would love to see rumble or alves ktfo him. If he were to come to the ufc I see him being a top 5 ww, maybe even a top 5 mw, but at mw marquardt would beat him, maybe even ko him, and damian “the anaconda” maia (my nickname for him) would sub the hell out of diaz. I dont like his attitude, but would love to see him lose in the ufc. I think he might become champ in strikeforce, but no way in hell he becomes champ in the ufc, unless he shoots his opponent in the ring before their title fight. I dont even see him getting a title shot in the ufc.
I agree, Diaz wouldn’t be able to get a title shot in the UFC. He never did before, and the competition is better now than it was then.