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Nick Diaz is set to return to MMA after serving a five-year suspension given to him by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The Stockton native was banned from competing after a failed drug test for marijuana metabolites.
In an interview conducted by Farah Hannoun for UFC Arabia, Dana White was heard saying that the former Strikeforce and WEC welterweight champion's return this year looks promising.
Diaz last fought at middleweight in a very entertaining match against Anderson Silva at UFC 183. 'The Spider' won by decision. However, it was overturned into a no-contest after both fighters failed pre-fight drug tests.
The Stockton brawler is most likely to make his return to the middleweight division since his younger brother competes in the UFC welterweight division. However, Diaz will undoubtedly have some difficulties in being a flourishing fighter in this division.
Here are five reasons why Nick Diaz will find it difficult to thrive in the current UFC middleweight division:
5) Nick Diaz is 37 years old
The Stockton brawler's suspension came when he was 32 years old. An age often regarded as one of the final years of a fighter's prime. Diaz was already in the last stages of his MMA career. Now, at the age of 37, he is far removed from his peak years.
He is bound to carry ring rust from five long years of inactivity. Add to that the effects of a growing age that negatively affects the ability to recover after each training session, to recover from injuries, the capacity to build muscle, the capacity to dish out power in striking and grappling, and declining overall mental sharpness.
Diaz simply won't come back as the fighter that he was five years ago.
4) Less experience in the UFC middleweight division
Nick Diaz's unfortunate five-year suspension came right after his first fight in the UFC middleweight division. The fight with former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was his only bout in the weight class.
Although Silva is one of the most successful fighters in the UFC middleweight division, Nick Diaz faced 'The Spider' when the Brazilian's career was in decline. Silva had lost to Chris Weidman in two of his previous fights. And yet Diaz lost to Silva by a decision.
Much has changed in the middleweight division since the fight between Diaz and Silva. 'The Spider' went on to face a string of losses until he was released from the UFC.
Standards for competition in the UFC middleweight division have been raised far above what they used to be when Diaz entered this division. Diaz is sure to face a world of trouble if he were to meet the division's powerhouses, including Darren Till, Uriah Hall, Derek Brunson, Paulo Costa, Jared Cannonier and Robert Whittaker.
If Nick Diaz wades through the fighters mentioned above, current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya could become a nemesis figure for him. Adesanya, who is much taller than most of his opponents at middleweight or even light heavyweight, could run a clinic on Diaz with his prolific striking.
3) Nick Diaz's fighting style will work against him
Nick Diaz prefers to drag his fights for long durations of time to find an opportunity to finish the fight after tiring out his opponents. This style has worked for him in the lower weight divisions that he competed in before moving to middleweight. He would either see the fight to a finish or see it go the distance.
However, neither his chin nor his superior gas tank can stand against this power-packed division, even if he were in his prime. The disparity of power between him and his potential opponents at middleweight would not allow him to drag his fights since the incoming strikes would be more brutal than he has ever seen in his professional MMA career.
2) Diaz's inactivity before 2020
Diaz returned to his fighting weight in September last year following a 14-week training and diet regime. However, this showed that he was not keeping himself busy with training between his suspension and Ariel Helwani's post above.
If Nick Diaz loses his first fight at middleweight, he is likely to find himself in a worse situation than his younger brother's past opponent, Conor McGregor.
After his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, McGregor said that taking a break from the UFC played an important role in his loss. In the post-fight interview, the Irishman said:
"You know its hard to overcome inactivity over long periods of time and that's just it."
He further added:
"If you aren't putting the time in here(the octagon), you're gonna get cozy in here."
Upon being asked whether he would compete again in 2021, he replied:
"Of course, I need the activity guys, come on. You just don't get away with being inactive in this business and that's the way it is."
If Nick Diaz were truly aiming to make a comeback, it would have been ideal for him to have continued with training enough to keep himself in shape throughout his suspension. His lack of preparation and readiness to stay fight-ready could be indicative of a bigger problem.
1) Questionable desire
The Stockton slugger has always been dissatisfied with some of his own losses and that of his brother's throughout their professional MMA careers. That includes losses that each of the brothers has faced either by way of a decision or by TKO due to doctor stoppage.
'Diablo' has always been dissatisfied if he or Nate Diaz loses. Regardless of whether the defeats were the right outcome, the brothers have lesser faith in the promotions in which they lost the fights.
The Diaz brothers have often expressed resentment and disinterest in fighting in the octagon, starting with Nick Diaz's decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 146.
Michael Bisping has expressed disappointment in them for the way they handled their losses.
This makes us question whether Nick Diaz is returning to the octagon to become a top competitor or make money? Either way, he will find it difficult to thrive in the middleweight division.
