Daniel Cormier not keen on Nick Diaz returning in 2022: “It didn’t seem like he wanted to be there”
Daniel Cormier has given his thoughts on former UFC title challenger Nick Diaz returning this year.
The former Strikeforce champion was seemingly in retirement before being scheduled to fight at UFC 266 against Robbie Lawler. While he seemed in great shape in training photos, he showed up and notably said he didn’t want to fight. His mental state was further questioned when he requested the fight to be moved to middleweight just days away from the contest.
The fight itself was a bit of a mixed bag. While Diaz looked good in the first round with his combinations, he quickly tired. In round three, Lawler landed a big shot that forced the 38-year-old to call an end to the contest.
Following the contest, many, including Dana White, implored Nick Diaz to not fight again. In spite of that, the Stockton slugger’s coach recently confirmed that he will compete later this year. His teammate Jake Shields also noted that he’d like to see Diaz fight again with a solid camp.
Daniel Cormier has now weighed in on a potential Nick Diaz return on the DC & RC podcast. The former UFC dual-weight champion seemingly doesn’t think that the former Strikeforce champion will return. The main reason is that Diaz didn’t look like he wanted to fight in his last contest.
Nick Diaz at UFC 261
Upon being asked if we’ll see Nick Diaz fight before his brother Nate in 2022, ‘DC’ said:
“No, no, no. It’ll be Nate first, it’ll be Nathan first. My last visual of Nick Diaz, I don’t think we’re really going to see him again in the octagon. In the pictures, he looked shredded. Inside the octagon, he looked like a different man. He didn’t look like he wanted to be in there.”
What do you think about Nick Diaz fighting again? Would you like to see the Stockton slugger compete later this year?
