"He kind of marches to the beat of his own drum, which I respect" - Robbie Lawler praises Nick Diaz despite last-minute change of weight class

Ariel Helwani recently reported that the highly anticipated matchup between Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler will now be a middleweight bout. The fight was originally scheduled to take place at 170 pounds.

Despite the short notice, Lawler accepted the change. During UFC 266 media day. he said he had no problems fighting Diaz at 185 pounds.

"I'm ready to go. That is all that matters. The camp went well and I'm controlling the things I can control. We (Lawler and Dana White) had a short conversation. It is what it is and I'm ready to fight. So, we're moving forward. Obviously, I'm a little light (for middleweight). But I'm strong, fast and I've been doing this for a very long time. So, let's do it."

Catch Robbie Lawler's UFC 266 media day interview below:

In an interview with Brett Okamoto, 'Ruthless' showered praise on his opponent despite the late weight class change. Lawler said he respected Diaz for operating on his own terms.

"I have a lot of respect for Nick [Diaz] and everything he's accomplished... Obviously, the issue I'm having right now with this weight change and whatever. (It) doesn't really change anything but he kind of marches to the beat of his own drum, which I freaking respect. He kind of, like, doesn't cr*p and he is who he is and I have respect for that."

See Brett Okamoto's full interview with Robbie Lawler below:

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Robbie Lawler is currently on a four-fight skid in the UFC

Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler has been going through a rough patch in the UFC. 'Ruthless' has lost all of his last four fights in the octagon. Lawler's last win in the UFC came way back in July 2017 when he defeated Donald Cerrone via unanimous decision at UFC 214.

The 39-year-old will now fight his former foe Nick Diaz in a five-round bout at UFC 266. The two previously fought at UFC 47, where the Stockton native knocked Lawler out in the second round of the fight.

'Ruthless' will be looking to put an end to his losing streak by defeating Diaz in their upcoming rematch. Diaz, on the other hand, will look to make a triumphant return to the octagon after being out of action for more than six years.