Nate Diaz

Leon Edwards vows to ‘batter’ Nate Diaz at UFC 263

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Leon Edwards

Next weekend at UFC 263 we are going to get to see a very highly anticipated contest in the welterweight division. Top contender Leon Edwards (18-3, 1 NC) is set to face off against one of the biggest stars in the sport, Nate Diaz (20-12).

Originally, Diaz and Edwards were set to face off at UFC 262 in Houston. However, Diaz suffered a minor injury which pushed the fight back a month. The fight between the two men is the first of it’s kind for the promotion.

The matchup between Diaz and Edwards is considered a third headlining fight. It’s the third fight on the main card, but it’s scheduled for five rounds. It’s the first fight in UFC history that’s a non-title, non-main event that’s scheduled for five rounds.

Diaz is fighting his fifth straight fight in the UFC‘s welterweight division. Granted, three of the previous four matchups were against guys who naturally fight at lightweight. Diaz has spent the majority of his career at 155 pounds.

Diaz hasn’t fought since his BMF title fight against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244. That night was cut short due to a cut and we haven’t seen Diaz since. Now, he’s jumping in there against one of the very best in the world in Leon Edwards.

Edwards has had a string of awful luck in the UFC from fight cancellations to an eye poke that spoiled his return. Now, he’s facing off against one of the most popular fighters in the sport and he’s ready to make a statement.

Edwards wants his UFC title shot

Leon Edwards respects Nate Diaz, but he doesn’t believe that he has anything for him. In speaking with MMA Junkie, Edwards made it clear that he doesn’t believe Nate Diaz will give him any trouble at UFC 263.

“I envision going out there and just battering him from pillar to post and getting the stoppage,” Edwards said. “I know he’s a tough, durable guy and I just don’t think being tough and durable is enough to beat me. I’ve worked hard, and I’ve dedicated myself for a long time, and it’s now time for my results to show. I can’t wait to go out there and prove that.”

If Edwards is able to get a stoppage at UFC 263, it will be massive. However, doing that is not going to be easy. Diaz has only been stopped by strikes once in his career. If Edwards becomes the second man to do it, he just might earn himself a UFC title shot.

UFC: Injury to Nate Diaz postpones Leon Edwards fight

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UFC 262 took a hit late last night. The co-main event between Nate Diaz (20-12) and Leon Edwards (18-3, 1 NC) is off. Diaz suffered a minor injury in training and the fight has been postponed.

Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole was the first with the news last night. Diaz and Edwards were set to compete in the first five-round, non-title, non-main event fight in the history of the promotion. It appears that Tony Ferguson – Beneil Dariush will move to the co-main slot at UFC 262.

The good news is that the fight is still going to happen. It has been confirmed that the fight between Diaz is moving to UFC 263 on June 12th. The card already has two title fights. However, even with two title fights, the Diaz – Edwards matchup will remain five rounds.

For Nate Diaz, this will be his first fight since he lost to Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244. It will be Diaz’s ninth bout in the UFC‘s welterweight division. Thus far, he’s gone 4-4 in his first eight matchups at 170 pounds.

More UFC bad luck for Leon Edwards

If there’s anyone who has learned how to roll with the UFC scheduling punches, it’s Leon Edwards. In March of 2020, Edwards was a week away from fighting former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

However, the pandemic shut everything down and the fight was called off. The UFC then called Edwards about a title opportunity in July, but the English fighter couldn’t get out to train so he missed that opportunity.

From there, the UFC couldn’t find him an opponent. Finally, they settled on Khamzat Chimaev. Edwards and Chimaev were set to main event a card in December. However, Edwards got COVID and the fight was pushed to January.

Then, Chimaev got COVID and the fight was pushed to March. However, Chimaev still struggled with COVID symptoms and the fight was scrapped altogether. Belal Muhammad stepped in to face Edwards in March.

Leon Edwards looked sensational, but early in the second round, he accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye. Muhammad couldn’t continue and Edwards’ long-waited UFC debut ended with a No Contest.

Edwards hasn’t lost since 2015. That loss came against the current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Edwards is hoping to defeat Diaz and get a rematch with Usman, but he’s going to have to wait a little longer.

UFC: Jake Paul on Daniel Cormier confrontation: ‘You had your chance and you b*tched out’

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This past Saturday at UFC 261 a confrontation outside of the octagon stole some headlines. That confrontation was between the former two-division champion Daniel Cormier (22-3, 1 NC) and internet celebrity turned boxer Jake Paul (3-0 Boxing).

Cormier went over to Jake Paul and got in his face with a simple message, “Don’t play with me.” The former UFC champion is not a fan of Paul’s antics and he’s had enough of the chirping.

Yesterday, the former UFC champion told Ariel Helwani that he would drop down to 205 pounds to fight Jake Paul. However, the stipulation was that it would have to be in a mixed martial arts competition.

Today, Helwani interviewed Jake Paul about his altercation with Cormier. Paul was very vocal on how he felt about the altercation with the former UFC champion.

“Are you about your sh*t or are you not about your sh*t. Dana White wouldn’t have done anything if you wanted to lay hands on me. You had your chance and you b*tched out. It’s embarrassing and you’re an embarrassment. You’re not a man of your word.”

Jake Paul on Daniel Cormier altercation

UFC vs Jake Paul

Jake Paul went on to say that he has no interest in fighting Cormier in a MMA match. However, he would be fully willing to box him. His reasoning was that he’s never trained in MMA but Cormier has trained in striking.

With that, I think it’s safe to say we will never see Paul fight the former two-division UFC champion. Helwani went on to ask Paul about potential opponents and if he wants to fight again this year.

Paul said that he wanted to box again this year and his number once choice comes from the UFC 262 co-main event. The number one target on Jake Paul’s hit list is Stockton’s Nate Diaz (20-12).

Diaz has two fights left on his current UFC contract so the odds of that happening are extremely low. On the other hand another fighter who is no longer under contract with the UFC is Tyron Woodley (19-7-1).

The former welterweight champion is someone that Jake Paul said he’d be interested in boxing. Now, I don’t believe that Paul would actually sign up to face Woodley, but he said he’d be interested.

For now, I think the DC and Jake Paul stuff will be put behind us outside of some internet trolling from Jake Paul.

After getting knocked out at UFC 261, what’s next for Jorge Masvidal?

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This past Saturday at UFC 261, we got to see the rematch between Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal (35-15) and Kamaru Usman (19-1). The two men ran things back after Usman won a decision last July at UFC 251.

Because the first fight was on short notice, there were a lot of questions around whether Usman could beat Gamebred when Masvidal had a full camp. Saturday night, we got the answer to those questions.

Going into UFC 261, the thought was that if the fight was on the feet, Masvidal would have a massive advantage. Masvidal has some of if not the best boxing in the UFC‘s welterweight division.

Usman of course is known for his grappling and his pressure. However, in recent fights, we’ve seen Kamaru Usman drastically improve his striking under new head coach Trevor Wittman.

At UFC 261, Usman was always one step ahead of Masvidal even on the feet. His straight shots were always landing first all night. Gamebred really couldn’t get anything going offensively outside of some decent leg kicks.

Just over a minute into the first round, Usman unleashed a right straight that sent sweat flying and Masvidal to the canvas. The UFC‘s BMF was knocked out cold in a manner that shocked everyone watching.

What’s next after UFC 261?

Make no mistake about it, Masvidal’s reputation and star power took a major hit on Saturday night. Obviously, Masvidal has lost a lot in his career and this won’t be the end, but it definitely takes a ton of steam off of him in getting knocked out like that.

In hindsight, Masvidal should have taken the UFC’s offer to coach TUF against Colby Covington. Even if Masvidal lost to Covington, he wouldn’t have lost in the fashion that he did on Saturday night.

Nevertheless, Masvidal got another UFC title shot and you can’t blame him for going after that. So the question becomes, what’s next for Masvidal? Well, I think for that we look at UFC 262.

In a few weeks, Nate Diaz (20-12) and Leon Edwards (18-3, 1 NC) are co-headlining the card. I think you pair Masvidal with one of those two. If Edwards wins, I can’t see him taking the Masvidal fight now. He’ll likely wait for the winner of Usman/Covington.

So, I think the UFC should pair Masvidal with Nate Diaz whether he wins or loses or pair him with Edwards if he loses. Both of those fights would sell well considering the history that Gamebred has with both men.

While his star power took a hit, I don’t think this is the end for Masvidal. He is still definitely a draw and with the right pairing, I think the UFC will do very well the next time Masvidal is on the marquee.

After his win at UFC 260, what’s next for Vicente Luque?

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This past Saturday at UFC 260, Vicente Luque (20-7-1) had a massive opportunity in the co-main event of the evening. Luque got the chance to take on former welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley (19-7-1).

Entering UFC 260, Luque was 12-2 in his last fourteen fights inside the octagon. The only losses in that stretch were to Leon Edwards and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.

Taking on a former UFC champion gave Luque the opportunity to get the biggest win of his career and he didn’t let it pass him by. Tyron Woodley has been extremely passive over his last few fights.

The former welterweight champion just seemed zoned out and as a result, he was dominated in three straight fights. On Saturday night, his back was against the wall and he fought like it.

Instead of moving immediately backwards, Woodley ran across the octagon and threw big shots. The former UFC champion was desperate for a win and you could tell. However, Luque remained calm during the storm.

Late in the round, Woodley landed a massive shot that seemingly buckled Luque. However, Woodley came in wild and Luque was able to land an even bigger shot that completely rocked the former champion.

The fight didn’t last long after that. Luque continued to hurt Woodley which forced the former champion to shoot for a takedown. It was a sloppy attempt and it allowed Luque to lock up a choke and get the massive win at UFC 260.

What’s next after UFC 260?

With his win on Saturday night, Luque jumped up to the sixth spot in the updated UFC rankings. After the fight was over, Luque called for a fight with Nate Diaz. This is the second straight fight he’s done this.

However, he’s not going to get that fight. Last night, it was announced that Diaz would be fighting Leon Edwards at UFC 262. With that, Vicente Luque is going to have to look at different options.

To me, there is a perfect opponent right next to him in the rankings. The perfect opponent for Luque next is Michael Chiesa (18-4). Chiesa is unbeaten at welterweight and whoever were to win that potential matchup would be ready for a title eliminator.

BREAKING: Nate Diaz – Leon Edwards booked for UFC 262

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Tonight we learned that UFC 262 is getting quite the co-main event. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani broke the story tonight that Stockton’s own Nathan Diaz (20-12) is going to be taking on Leon Edwards (18-3, 1 NC) in the co-main event on May 15th.

While the fight is big news in itself, what’s really interesting is the details. Diaz and Edwards will be the co-headliner, but the fight will be five rounds. This is the first non-title and non-main event five round fight in UFC history.

Leon Edwards got his wish in a quick turnaround after his fight with Belal Muhammad. Edwards had been out of the cage for almost two years when he returned to the UFC a few weeks ago.

“Rocky” looked really good in the first round and even rocked Muhammad with a headkick. However, right as the second round started, Edwards accidentally poked Muhammad in the eye.

Muhammad was unable to continue and the fight was ruled a No Contest. Since Edwards took no damage and he had only fought once since July of 2019, he asked the UFC for a quick turnaround. Leon Edwards got his wish.

UFC return for Nate Diaz

Nate Diaz is without question one of the biggest stars in the UFC. However, it’s been a while since we’ve seen him inside the octagon. The last time we saw him was during his BMF title fight with Jorge Masvidal.

That fight at UFC 244 started rough for Diaz, but he was starting to come on as the fight entered the third round. After the third round was over, a ringside doctor called a stop to the action due to a cut over Diaz’s eye.

Since then, we haven’t seen Diaz inside the octagon. The UFC tried setting up a couple of different fights for Diaz last year, but nothing ever materialized. Diaz has wanted to get back in there against a top guy and he’s getting that in Leon Edwards.

Edwards is ranked in the top three at welterweight. If Diaz is able to pull off a victory at UFC 262, it would vault him straight into the title picture at 170 pounds. This is a tremendous co-main event for UFC 262.

UFC now targeting Colby Covington – Leon Edwards

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UFC, Colby Covington

Well the UFC is completely changing around their current plans after the news yesterday. Yesterday, we learned that the upcoming headliner between Leon Edwards (18-3) and Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) was off. The third time that fight’s been cancelled. 

The promotion decided to move forward and they’ve been working on a new fight for Edwards. Edwards stated on Twitter today that he was interested in fighting Nate Diaz. His management has said he’d take a fight against Diaz, Jorge Masvidal (35-13), or Colby Covington (16-2).

Currently, the UFC had been working on a fight between Masvidal and Covington. It’s the fight that the world has wanted to see and there had been rumblings about those two coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.

However, with the news yesterday, the UFC has switched things up. After today’s weigh-ins, Dana White took to the podium to take questions from the media. When asked about Edwards, White said that the promotion was looking to book Edwards against Colby Covington in a title eliminator.

What does the UFC do now?

Tomorrow night at UFC 258, the welterweight title is on the line between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. There is not a clear number one contender lined up to take on the winner of that fight.

For the last few months, the expectation was that Covington and Masvidal would fight in a title eliminator. However, that fight has been slow developing and it still hasn’t been finalized. Now, with the Chimaev news, the UFC appears to be willing to move on.

The word as of now is that there is momentum towards the Covington – Edwards fight which would leave Masvidal without an opponent for now. Covington and Edwards would fight next month to see who would be the UFC’s number one contender.

My guess is that the promotion would shift back to doing the BMF rematch with Masvidal and Nate Diaz (20-12). Originally, that was the plan for the promotion. However, they switched gears in December and tried to book Masvidal – Covington. This is definitely a situation to keep your eyes on.

UFC: With Chimaev out, Leon Edwards calls for a fight with Nate Diaz

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Leon Edwards

Yesterday, we found out that the UFC headliner between Leon Edwards (18-3) and Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) is off. The headliner was scheduled to take place on March 13th. This is the third time that the fight has fallen through.

After the first two cancellations, the UFC made it clear that they wanted to keep that fight together. However, after this third cancellation, the promotion is moving on from this matchup for now. The promotion is still hoping to keep Edwards in the main event on March 13th.

Since the news broke yesterday, UFC match makers have been trying to get Edwards a new fight. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani said this morning that Edwards’ reps have said they are interested in only three fighters. Those three fighters are Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, and Nate Diaz (20-12).

The UFC is currently working on booking Covington – Masvidal so the likelihood of one of them taking the fight is low. Given the status of all the other top contenders in the division, there isn’t a clear opponent for Edwards at this time.

Edwards took to Twitter this morning to vocalize who he wants to fight next. Edwards made it very clear that he wants to face Stockton’s Nate Diaz on March 13th.

Will the UFC make this fight?

In reality, there’s actually a high probability that the UFC attempts to make this fight. This week, Diaz came out and said that he wanted to fight Charles Oliveira or Dustin Poirier at 170 pounds. He said he’s only interested in fighting winners and he wants to fight at welterweight.

Well, Charles Oliveira said yesterday that he has no interest in fighting Diaz. It’s also been reported that the UFC is heading down the path of booking the trilogy between Poirier and Conor McGregor. That takes away both of the callouts for Nate Diaz.

That’s where Leon Edwards enters the equation perfectly. Edwards is on an eight-fight win streak and he’s currently ranked third in the welterweight division. If Diaz is interested in making his return at 170 pounds and against a winner, it doesn’t get much better than Leon Edwards.

Both of these top UFC fighters need a fight and neither one of them have a clear next opponent. The writing is on the wall to make this matchup. If this fight does get made, I would expect it to happen sooner than later. This will definitely be a situation to follow in the coming days.

 

Justin Gaethje is sick of hearing that Charles Oliveira deserves a UFC title shot

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Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) is one of the best lightweights in the UFC. There is no questioning his talent or questioning how impressive he’s been as of late. However, Oliveira is not gaining any fans with his recent stance on what’s next for him.

Just today, Oliveira shot down a potential fight with Nate Diaz. Over the last month, Oliveira has told the UFC that he would not face Nate Diaz (20-12), Justin Gaethje (22-3), or Michael Chandler (22-5). Instead, he’s demanded that he fights for the title next.

As of now, the UFC lightweight title is in limbo. Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) is the undisputed lightweight champion, however, he’s maintained that he’s been retired for the last couple of months. Yet, Dana White is still holding onto hope that he changes his mind.

Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) proved last month at UFC 257 that he deserves to fight for the title next after he knocked out Conor McGregor (22-5). Oliveira has been vocal that he only wants to fight Poirier, but it has to be for the title.

This hasn’t sat well with former interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje. Gaethje took to Twitter tonight to voice his frustrations about Oliveira’s stance. Gaethje made it quite clear by stating, “What the f*ck has this dude done to get a shot at the title?”

UFC’s lightweight situation

Gaethje made it clear tonight that he’s sick of Oliveira claiming that he deserves anything. In all honesty, Gaethje does have a point that I also raised in my article about why Oliveira won’t get the next shot at the UFC lightweight title. 

Yes, Oliveira has won eight fights in a row. That alone is incredibly impressive. However, when you really dive into the winning streak, it’s not all that impressive. Yes, Oliveira’s win over Tony Ferguson (25-5) was incredibly impressive.

However, only one other fighter on that list of eight ranks inside the top fifteen. In Oliveira’s last nine fights, he’s fought two guys who are currently ranked tenth or higher in the division. He’s 1-1 in those two matchups with the loss coming against Paul Felder.

Oliveira is playing a very risky game with the UFC. The promotion is giving him opportunities to make himself more of a household name and legitimizing his top contender status. However, he keeps turning things down because he claims he has nothing to prove. Dangerous tightrope he’s walking with this train of thought.

Charles Oliveira only interested in UFC title shot; shoots down Nate Diaz matchup

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The UFC has their work cut out for them with Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). Oliveira is currently on an eight-fight winning steak and he’s made it very clear that he wants a title shot in his next fight. However, the UFC hasn’t been leaning in that direction as of now.

The promotion has tried to book Oliveira against multiple opponents and Oliveira continues to turn down fights. The UFC tried to book Oliveira against Justin Gaethje (22-3) in a title eliminator. Oliveira turned down that fight.

The UFC then tried to pair Oliveira up against Michael Chandler (22-5). They actually tried to make this fight happen a few times. However, every time they called with the offer, Oliveira turned down the fight.

This week, one of the biggest stars in the sport called out Oliveira. Nate Diaz (20-12) said that he would like to face Oliveira when he returns to the octagon. Well, Oliveira took to Twitter to respond today and you can probably guess what his response was.

Oliveira’s game of hardball with the UFC

Do Bronx took to Twitter with a simple post stating, “No interest, homie. Goal: Lightweight belt.” Now, the UFC hasn’t actually approached Oliveira about fighting Nate Diaz, but they now know what his answer would be regardless.

Listen, I completely respect where Oliveira is coming from. He believes he deserves a title shot and he’s willing to say no until he gets it. However, this isn’t always rewarded by the the UFC especially when you’re not a star.

Oliveira’s big problem here is that he’s not a star and he doesn’t have leverage in negotiations. Conor McGregor could do something like this because of the cash cow that he is. However, Oliveira has no pull in this situation against the UFC.

If we’ve learned anything about Dana White, it’s that he loves guys who are down to fight anyone at anytime. Charles Oliveira’s mission is respectable, but it’s not going to make him popular with the brass at the UFC. Three big-time opponents and Oliveira has turned them all down. I have to say, I don’t think it’s wise.