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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.
