The UFC Welterweight fighter, Nick Diaz made a return inside the Octagon almost after six years to face the former UFC Welterweight champion, Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. Diaz looked completely out of shape and Lawler defeated him via third-round KO.
After this fight a lot of fellow fighters showed concern for Nick Diaz and the former UFC two times Welterweight title challenger, Jorge Masvidal is the latest one of them. Diaz and Masvidal shared a long history with each other; they both competed together in Strikeforce during 2010-11.
And Jorge Masvidal competed against Nate Diaz during UFC 244 for the BMF Title that separated both of them even more. But after Nick Diaz’s performance at UFC 266 on his return, Masvidal claims that the veteran doesn’t seem to have any motivation left for fighting in him.
In his latest interview with Ariel Helwani for MMA Hour, talking about Nick Diaz, Masvidal says, “It was not the Nick Diaz that I’m accustomed to, obviously, I was fighting alongside Nick when he was in Strikeforce and I was in Strikeforce, so I knew a very different Nick Diaz. I don’t want to see the guy get hurt, man.”
“I would love to see him in peak shape, go in there and f*ck some people up, but I don’t know how much of a reality that is now after seeing his last performance. I want to see him not get hurt. And if he does go back in there, I want to see him as close as we can to his old self. I don’t think his last performance, we got to see that.” {H/T MMA Fighting}
Jorge Masvidal vows to never let himself down on Nick Diaz’s point on the return
Nick Diaz appeared on the fight week of UFC 266 looking least interested in that fight and even in the post-fight press conference, he felt this situation wasn’t correct for him to fight. Even after starting his MMA career along with Diaz, Jorge Masvidal believes he is never letting himself down on this point when people will question his motivation.
Masvidal added, “I don’t know what Nick Diaz is going through. I don’t know if he’s dealing with the IRS. I don’t what it is, why he was fighting, But as far as I go, I think I’ve said it before in the gym. When I go to the gym, myself, and the younger generations, and I can no longer hang with them and compete with them and do well — and not just well one day out of the week, but do well every time I step on the mat like I do right now — then I know it’s time for me to hang it up.”
“Nobody’s going to come telling me. Thank goodness, on a financial level, I never have to fight again. If I continue to fight now or not, I’m good financially, so I don’t see myself in those predicaments where I’m going to come back to fight for money. I’ll come back to fight because I love it, it’s my DNA.” {H/T MMA Fighting}
