On September 25th, the UFC will welcome the long awaited return of Nick Diaz who last fought in 2015 against Anderson Silva. Both Nick and his brother Nate Diaz are certified fan favorites in the MMA world. Some analysts may be skeptical of Nick’s return considering his age (now 37) and his long layoff, but everyone is excited to see this upcoming contest.
Nick Diaz vs Robbie Lawler
The fight Diaz has in front of him is one that fans have been waiting 17 years for, a rematch with “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler. This is quite the welcome back event as both of these fighters love to give 100% in every contest, throwing barrages of punches with a seemingly endless gas tank. Their first fight together way back in 2004 was a spectacular bout that all MMA fans remember.
What Do The Oddsmakers Say?
When we look at the UFC/MMA betting odds, we can see that odds are very close at +108 for Diaz and -115 for Lawler. This is surprising considering Diaz’s exceptionally long layoff. However, looking at Lawler’s recent record, he’s lost his last 4 contests. Both are older now as well, with Diaz being 37 and Lawler being 39. This means they know they are at the end of their careers and will look to put on a memorable fight for the fans. Most analysts are expecting a knockout victory for one of these two fighters.
Who Has The Advantage?
There are several ways to look at this matchup. On one hand, we know where Lawler is at in his career. On the other hand, we have no idea what to expect from Diaz. Lawler has stayed active in recent years, with fights against the best competitors in the sport today like Colby Covington, Rafael dos Anjos, and Donald Cerrone. However, he has lost his last 4 contests. We know that Lawler is losing the killer edge he once had and doesn’t have the same cardio either. Although, he still has his infamous power and toughness.
With Diaz however, we don’t know how he will look coming back. The Diaz brothers are legendary for their extensive cardio that includes triathlons and miles of biking every day. He has looked good in his training footage leading up to this fight, so perhaps he will still be able to go 5 rounds easily. However, we don’t know where his head is at and if he is mentally the same hungry fighter he once was. There is also the question if Diaz is looking for just this fight, or to come back for multiple events. On September 25th, these two rivals will meet for their long awaited rematch and all of our questions will be answered once and for all.