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Nate Diaz's fighting style and his nonchalant attitude have rightfully established him as a 'prizefighter' in the UFC. The 35-year-old has been part of some of the promotion's biggest box office fights. He is now returning to grace the UFC octagon once again.
It took years of hard work for Diaz to become a success in the world's leading MMA promotion. The Stockton fighter toiled his way through two different weight classes before reaching the pinnacle after a pair of fights with Conor McGregor.
Nate Diaz made his UFC debut as a lightweight contender in The Ultimate Fighter 5 finale against Manvel Gamburyan. After amassing a credible 6-3 record in the 155-pound weight class, Diaz decided to move up a weight class at welterweight.
He challenged Rory Markham on his welterweight debut and successfully secured a first-round TKO victory. Diaz, however, bore the brunt of the size difference against Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald, who were relatively bigger than him.
Diaz returned to the lightweight division in 2011 and continued fighting in the same weight class until 2015. His last fight as a 155-pound contender was against Michael Johnson, after which his career took a turn for the good.
In a post-fight interview, The Stockton Slugger produced an iconic callout of Conor McGregor. They fought the next year as welterweights where Diaz was victorious. The two superstars competed once again in a rematch in the 170-pound division, where McGregor earned his revenge, edging past Diaz via unanimous decision. Since then, the 35-year-old has continued fighting at welterweight.
Nate Diaz is firm on not switching to the lightweight division
In January of this year, Dana White stated that Nate Diaz will return to the UFC as a lightweight contender. However, Diaz later took to his social media and noted that he will not venture into the 155-lbs division again.
During an interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Nate Diaz confirmed he will continue his quest for the belt in the welterweight division, regardless of who the opponent is.
Despite not accepting a fight with Leon Edwards at first, Diaz has now agreed to compete against the Brit. Edwards is riding an eight-fight win streak in the UFC welterweight division. He will challenge Diaz in the main event of UFC 262.
