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Few fighters have proven to be as popular over the years as Nate Diaz. The no-nonsense, plant-based cardio machine pulls no punches and calls it how he sees it. In the process, he's won over audiences and pundits alike.
A 17-year veteran of MMA, Nate Diaz has shockingly never even challenged for a UFC title (barring a certain specialty belt in 2019). Despite his hit-and-miss record and surprising lack of accolades, Diaz continues to draw fans and interest whenever he shows up.
With his older brother Nick finally returning in September, the question has to be asked: when will we next see Nate in the octagon?
His first fight since UFC 244 did not go his way. Diaz found himself on the wrong end of a unanimous decision against rising star Leon Edwards at UFC 263. Despite the setback, Diaz has not expressed any interest in slowing down. At 36, and having stopped way too many shots with his head, it’s hard to say how much more mileage Diaz has left in him.
Having not won a fight since his decision victory over Anthony Pettis at UFC 241, Diaz needs his next fight to go his way. The question at this point is who does he face next?
Here are five logical match-ups for the Stockton hardman.
#5. Nate Diaz vs. Muslim Salikhov
After a two-year lay-off and a recent decision loss to Leon Edwards, Nate Diaz is no longer in the welterweight rankings. To get himself back on track, maybe taking on the man at the bottom of the top 15 is the right place to start.
Muslim Salikhov is on a five-fight win streak right now. The Sanda master is looking strong and last fought in June, beating Francisco Trinaldo by unanimous decision.
For Nate Diaz, if he wants any chance of finally getting a welterweight title shot before hanging up the gloves, Salikhov is where to start. If Diaz can use his endurance to hold Salikhov to the fifth round, the fight would likely be his.
As multi-talented as Salikhov is, he’s never been dragged that far into deep waters. Nate Diaz has the chin to handle Salikhov’s punishment too, making this a plausible win for the Stockton fan favorite.
#4. Nate Diaz vs. Demian Maia
A battle of veterans might be just the ticket for Nate Diaz to get his name back on the scoreboard. Demian Maia is a fifth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jistu. Despite his exceptional grappling, the 20-year veteran is coming off two straight losses.
In March 2020, Maia fell by way of a first-round TKO to Gilbert Burns. After more than a year away from the octagon, Maia returned at UFC 263 where he lost via unanimous decision to Belal Muhammad.
Currently number 11 in the welterweight rankings, Maia is rightly considered one of the greatest grapplers the sport has ever seen. However, at 43, Maia has passed his athletic prime and appears to be slowing down.
A Nate Diaz fight for Maia should be an easy sell for Dana White and one where the result is somewhat predictable. However, Diaz’s superhuman cardio and on-point ground game would be more than enough to keep him competitive.
In fact, due to the lack of striking on Maia’s part, Nate Diaz would likely have the fight won if he could keep it on the feet. After all, they don’t call him ‘The Stockton Slugger’ for nothing.
#3. Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone II
It’s safe to say that Donald Cerrone has seen better days in the octagon. The Denver daredevil hasn’t won a fight in more than two years. The main thing keeping him afloat in the UFC right now is his popularity among audiences.
These two previously fought at UFC 141 where Nate Diaz extracted a unanimous decision victory. For the Stockton endurance machine, this is a fight he could almost certainly win again. The popularity of both men would ensure a rock-solid payday as well. With his endurance and aggression, Diaz could quite plausibly secure a TKO/KO win on Cerrone this time around.
While the Stockton native’s slow burn strategies make a round one KO a la Conor McGregor at UFC 246 unlikely, he’d be the favorite to finish the bout in the later rounds.
Although collecting Cerrone’s scalp won’t be quite enough to net Diaz a shot at title contendership, it will improve his frustrating 20-13 record. From Cerrone, a rejuvenated Diaz could move on to bigger things again and likely have the confidence and focus to pick up more victories.
#2. Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal II
A Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal rematch almost goes without saying.
Jorge Masvidal has enjoyed a two-year run with the aptly titled BMF championship. Despite having fought several times since his UFC 244 TKO victory over Nate Diaz, Masvidal has never defended the title.
The belt as a whole has not been revisited by the UFC since Dwayne Johnson put it around Masvidal’s waist. Coming off two straight losses to the unstoppable Kamaru Usman, Masvidal could do with a money fight to get himself back on track.
Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz is an exciting brawl the UFC could put on in the coming months. For Masvidal, another win over Diaz adds to his aura as one of the sport’s premier personalities. For Diaz, it would be vindication for his 2019 loss to ‘Gamebred’, a defeat that clearly enraged him at the time.
A BMF rematch would be an easy main event to roll with next time Dana White has a big show lacking any divisional titles up for grabs.
#1. Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards
Nate Diaz may well have been one or two minutes away from victory here. After two years out of the game, Nate Diaz made his much-anticipated return at UFC 263. In a testament to Diaz’s drawing power, it was the first ever five-round, non-title co-main event.
Sadly for Diaz, the fight didn’t go his way. Leon Edwards is one of the finest grapplers Britain has ever produced in the UFC. To top it off, he’s also a master kickboxer, in the prime of his life, looking to net his first UFC welterweight title fight.
Basically, Dana White threw Nate Diaz in the deep end for his return. Towards the end of the fight, however, a bloodied Nate Diaz staged a hard-hitting comeback. Similar to his UFC 202 rematch with Conor McGregor, a still-energetic Diaz punched his opponent into mush in the closing minutes.
It wasn’t enough to save him from a decision loss but it did show he’s still got some serious power. If Diaz can speed up and get a little more explosive, he could likely hold Edwards off for the first three rounds before going in for the kill once his foe begins to tire.
Correcting his latest setback would greatly help Diaz’s standing and legacy. It’s a risk the triathlete should definitely be prepared to take in the coming months.
