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Nate Diaz has entertained fights fans for as long as one can remember. If there could ever be a true successor to Nick Diaz, it could only have been his younger brother Nate. Ever since his emphatic win over Conor McGregor at UFC 196, Nate Diaz's stock has risen to a level where he has headlined multiple PPV's without a title picture on the line.
Nate Diaz made his emphatic return to the octagon after a three-year hiatus against former Champion Anthony Pettis in the co-main event of UFC 244. Diaz picked up an impressive unanimous decision win and announced his return to the Welterweight division. Soon after the victory, he made a quick turnaround within three months to take on rising Welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal for the symbolic BMF belt at UFC 244.
However, Nate Diaz lost the fight via doctor stoppage in the third round. Masvidal dominated Diaz and landed several significant punches. A cut on the right eye of Diaz woulder render him unable to continue after doctor's decision, and while there's an argument to be made that Diaz would have fared better in the Championship rounds, Masvidal picked up the BMF belt for the victory.
Should Nate Diaz fight Dustin Poirier next?
It has been a topic of debate whether Nate Diaz should go down lightweight division or continue at the Welterweight division. Diaz has a lot of interesting options in the Lightweight division. Former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has called out Nate Diaz in the past. Recently, in a reply to a fan's tweet, Porier teased a match-up with the Stockton Slugger Nate Diaz.
Nate Diaz announced his return back in 2018. Diaz was scheduled to take on Dustin Poirier at the Lightweight division in the co-main event of UFC 230. However, to everybody's surprise, Nate Diaz made his welterweight return an year later at UFC 241.
Nate Diaz could also be looking at a super-fight against Tony Ferguson. Interestingly enough, Conor McGregor also teased a trilogy bout against Nate Diaz in a recent post on Instagram, celebrating the 4th anniversary of their epic battle at UFC 202.
Jorge Masvidal has also called out Nate Diaz in the past. While he looks more inclined towards a rematch with Kamaru Usman, it will be interesting to see who Diaz will fight next at the Welterweight division. Gilbert Burns has also shown ineterst in a match-up against Nate Diaz. So with a lot of options ahead of him, what's the right step for Nate Diaz going forward?
Nate Diaz should drop down to Lightweight Division
Nate Diaz is a solid contender at the Lightweight division. Additionally, the Welterweight division is mostly dominated by wrestlers leaving very few interesting options ahead of him. However, the lightweight division is filled with impeccable strikers with sole wrestler in the form of Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nate Diaz and Dan Hooker have had a back and forth on Twitter. There are a lot of interesting options, and it looks like it's time Diaz come back to the division he always deserved. Despite multiple victories at the Welterweight division, Nate Diaz has always been a lightweight contender. It will be interesting to see him go againsnt the likes of Poirier, Ferguson, Hooker, Gaethje if he decides to move back to lightweight division.
