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John McCarthy and Josh Thomson believe that Nick Diaz should only be a part of blockbuster matchups going forward. Diaz returned to the octagon after six years to take on Robbie Lawler in a highly-anticipated rematch last year.
Interestingly, the Stockton native recently said he wants to fight for the title against reigning welterweight champ Kamaru Usman.
According to John McCarthy and Josh Thomson, the 38-year-old fighter should be competing against the biggest names in the business. If not for the welterweight title, Diaz could fight for the BMF title against Jorge Masvidal, claims Thomson.
The former UFC fighter even claimed that the promotion should have pitted Diaz against Masvidal instead of booking the rematch with Lawler.
During a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, Thomson said:
"I wouldn't mind watching him fight for the title. But I said title and that doesn't mean that I am talking about the welterweight title. I could be talking about the BMF title. I wouldn't mind watching him and Masvidal fight. Masvidal and his brother fought. I wouldn't mind watching, you know, Masvidal and Nick fight. When Nick came back to the UFC, that was the fight that they should have made right away."
Watch the podcast below:
John McCarthy predicts Kamaru Usman's game plan in potential Nick Diaz clash
According to Josh McCarthy, Kamaru Usman isn't going to indulge in a striking exchange with Nick Diaz if they cross paths inside the octagon down the line. Usman has always been known for his world-class wrestling skills but of late, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has displayed his striking prowess inside the cage, knocking out the likes of Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal.
In a potential clash against Nick Diaz, however, 'Big' John believes he will adopt a different approach. Diaz is known for his high volume striking game and McCarthy feels Usman will be forced to use his wrestling to subdue the veteran fighter. He said:
"Kamaru would stand with him until he starts getting lit up. Then he's going to go and use his wrestling, which he should, I'm not saying he shouldn't... I don't think that Kamaru would be standing up against Nick that long."
Nick Diaz said he is likely to return to the octagon by the end of the year. In his last fight, the Stockton native suffered a third-round TKO loss against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 last year.
