Getty Who will UFC star Nate Diaz fight next?
UFC superstar Nate Diaz is known for making epic opponent choices, and the 36-year-old did it again when he selected welterweight contender Leon Edwards as his comeback opponent. Diaz is set to take on Edwards at UFC 263 on June 12 after being out of action for over a year and a half. In a new video released Friday on YouTube by the UFC, Diaz explained the epic reason he chose Edwards as his next opponent.
“I’m out here to show people I’ll beat the best of the best. If I’m not going to fight the biggest fight I can possibly find, I’m gonna fight the best fighter that I could possibly find,” Diaz said.
You can watch the video below.
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Diaz: ‘I Feel Like This Is the Title’
Diaz is one of the biggest superstars in the sport, and he seems to know it.
“I’ve been fighting for the last 10, 15 years. I’ve done it all. I’ve fought all these guys. I’ve done more, and done better than everybody. Keeping it real all the way through…I get better with age. Nobody has stayed on top as long as me, and I’m still headlining shows,” Diaz said.
Diaz has never won a UFC championship, but his win over UFC superstar Conor McGregor at UFC 196 was one of the most-watched UFC fights in history, and Diaz has earned a slew of incredible victories over notable opponents.
So Diaz is heading into his five-round undercard fight against Edwards feeling like a champion.
“I feel like this is the title. There’s not much do you could do more in the game than fight me as far as I’m concerned,” Diaz said.
Still, Diaz knows Edwards is the real deal at 170 pounds, so he’ll have his work cut out for him.
“He’s got all those wins, and I have a tough task on my hands. But I’m trying to be the best. I’m going to try to win from everywhere the best that I can,” Diaz said.
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Edwards Predicts Stoppage Victory
Edwards is entering the biggest fight of his career riding an 8-fight win streak. The 29-year-old hasn’t suffered a setback since losing to Kamaru Usman back in 2015, and he plans on beating Diaz at UFC 263 to prove he deserves another shot at Usman now that the Nigerian-born American is the champ.
“If you’re talking about winners, I have the most wins in the division. So if you’re a real one, let’s go,” Edwards said about his upcoming showdown against Diaz.
But the popular UFC star from the UK doesn’t just plan on beating Diaz. He plans on stopping him. He recently told Mirror he plans on meeting Diaz right in the center of the Octagon and beating him at his own game.
“Nate is going to be coming out looking for a war…I’ll meet him in the middle,” Edwards said.
In a different interview with MMA Junkie, Edwards said he would batter Diaz around the cage until the fight was stopped.
“I envision going out there and just battering him from pillar to post and getting the stoppage,” Edwards said.
More About Edwards vs. Diaz and UFC 263
UFC 263 also includes the returns of UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in important rematches against tough opponents.
Adesanya, 31, takes on Italy’s Marvin Vettori, 27, in a rematch for Adesanya’s 185-pound title. Adesanya beat Vettori before he was champ back in 2018, and he’ll hope to repeat the feat now that he wears the 185-pound crown.
Figueiredo, 33, and Brandon Moreno, 27, meet again in an immediate rematch for UFC flyweight gold after battling to a draw at UFC 256 in December 2020.
In a special five-round undercard bout, Edwards and Diaz will lock horns in an important battle in the 170-pound division.
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Nate Diaz Explains Choice in Epic Video [WATCH]