'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler are set to meet at UFC 266 on September 25. The fight was originally set to be a welterweight (170lbs) bout. However, after Diaz's camp requested a change in weight class, the UFC brass obliged. The five-round non-title fight will now be contested at middleweight (185lbs).
Speaking with Adam Catterall from BT Sport, Robbie Lawler opened up about the short-notice change in weight divisions. 'Ruthless' claims he isn't phased by Diaz moving the fight to middleweight. The former undisputed welterweight champion stated he will deliver his best performance regardless of the weight class:
"It is what it is. Just time to figure out and get the job done. So we are fighting and it's going to be at 185 and that's all that matters. So it doesn't matter, just gotta go out there and make sure my weight is where it needs to be. I'm feeling strong and sharp and that's it," said Robbie Lawler.
Robbie Lawler agreed to the matchup being contested at middleweight after having a short conversation with UFC president Dana White. Although the 39-year-old is light for the division, he claims he feels strong at 185lbs:
"It's definitely something that I don't like the way it went down but it is what it is. So I have to kind of move forward and focus on the task at hand which is making sure my weight is where it needs to be and that I'm sharp," added Robbie Lawler.
Watch Robbie Lawler's interview with BT Sport below:
Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler have come a long way since their first clash
Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz first fought in 2004 at UFC 47. It was a welterweight bout where both fighters traded heavy shots before Diaz secured an impressive knockout over Lawler in round two.
Check out Nick Diaz's devastating KO win over Robbie Lawler below:
Seventeen years have passed since the two legends squared off against each other. After their initial meeting, both fighters went ahead and solidified their legacies with massive accomplishments.
Nick Diaz became the welterweight champion in two major promotions, Strikeforce and World Extreme Cagefighting. He had one of the most successful runs in Strikeforce, with three consecutive title defenses to his name. Meanwhile, Robbie Lawler attained the UFC welterweight title in 2014 and defended it twice.
Their stellar resumes make it evident that Diaz and Lawler have come a long way since 2004. It will be interesting to see how they fare against each other in the second encounter.
