KEY POINTS

  • Nick Diaz was in attendance at the recently-concluded UFC 261 event
  • Diaz is rumored to face Jorge Masvidal in a "BMF" title fight
  • UFC president Dana White is open to giving the 37-year-old a return fight

Nick Diaz may have already found a suitable opponent for his looming UFC return.

Aside from incredible knockout finishes, the recent UFC 261 also opened up the doors for Diaz’s possible comeback.

Diaz, who was in attendance on Saturday, could be edging closer to his return as he is now being linked to a fight against UFC top welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal, Middle Easy reported, citing unnamed sources.

International Business Times could not independently verify this information.

However, Diaz’s possible return is unlikely to happen soon as Masvidal, who won the one-and-done "BMF” title in 2019 against Diaz’s younger brother Nate, had just come off a devastating knockout loss to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman over the weekend.

Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal of the United States looks on during a UFC 239 Welterweight Bout against Ben Askren of the United States at T-Mobile Arena on July 06, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey

Prior to being linked with a fight against “Gamebred,” Diaz’s manager Kevin Mubenga revealed on his “Fight Games Chronicles” podcast in December that they are hoping to get a “deal done” soon for the right price and with the right opponent.

UFC president Dana White had earlier confirmed that he would be open to handing Diaz a return fight after six years of inactivity.

“Nick [Diaz] wants to fight,” White said in his UFC 261 post-fight conference. “We’ll see how this goes. He’s waiting for me in the back right now. I’m going to go talk to him.”

Diaz last fought in the UFC in 2015, but according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, the 37-year-old has been eyeing to step inside the Octagon again prior to the pandemic.

“I believed Nick Diaz when he told me in November 2019 that he'd fight again in 2020,” Helwani said. “Of course, no one could have predicted the pandemic would ruin many great things planned for 2020, including Diaz's highly anticipated return. But 2021 is the new 2020, and I believe he is sincere in his desire to fight at least one more time.”

“He's training actively and appears to be in phenomenal shape once again,” he continued. “The fact that he was in attendance at UFC 261 also speaks volumes. He wants to be around the sport. He wants to embrace the sport again. He wants the sport to embrace him, too.”

Diaz is widely regarded as one of the toughest fighters in the history of MMA. Over the course of his professional career, he has battled an array of legendary fighters such as Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and BJ Penn.

RELATED STORIES