“I think he’s going to come in shape and try to beat my ass” – Robbie Lawler on his rematch against Nick Diaz at UFC 266

“I think he’s going to come in shape and try to beat my ass” – Robbie Lawler on his rematch against Nick Diaz at UFC 266

Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler

Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz will be running back their 17-year old fight at UFC 266. The veterans will be facing off in a five-round non-title fight in a stacked UFC card. They previously met at UFC 47, where Lawler was knocked out by Diaz in only the second round of the fight.

It is also worth noting that Nick Diaz is making his return to the Octagon after almost 7 years. However, Robbie Lawler feels Diaz would still be at the top of his game.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Lawler stated that a near-seven year absence wouldn’t have affected Diaz since he is someone who “likes to dabble”. ‘Ruthless’ also claimed that the older Diaz would very well be ready to fight for the entire 25 minutes. Another point to be noted is that, the Diaz brothers often take part in triathlons – a reason for their supreme cardio.

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“I think he’s been training this whole time” – Robbie Lawler on Nick Diaz

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Lawler was quoted as saying, “I think he’s been training this whole time. He’s a guy that likes to dabble, help his brother out. He obviously has jiu-jitsu and a good jiu-jitsu game as well as boxing. I think he’s going to come in shape and bring his tools and try to beat my ass. … I think he’s going to be in shape, ready to go 25 minutes. That’s his makeup. He comes to fight. He likes to push pace. He can go 25.” [via MMA Junkie]

Lawler is coming off a defeat against Neil Magny at UFC Fight Night: Smith vs Rakic. He lost the fight via. unanimous decision. He is in fact, stuck in a rut of late. The former welterweight champion has failed to win all four of his last fights. His last win came against Donald Cerrone at UFC 214, way back in July 2017.

Diaz, on the other hand, last fought Anderson Silva at UFC 183. The match was deemed a no-contest (Silva had won via. unanimous decision) after both the fighters tested positive for banned substances. Diaz was imposed with a lengthy ban, which was shortened. But his interest in the sport dwindled and he stopped competing. The West Coast Gangster will be looking forward to returning with a bang.

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