Getty Nate Diaz walks to the Octagon before his welterweight rematch against Conor McGregor at the UFC 202.
Last week, UFC president Dana White revealed that he has an opponent in mind for Nate Diaz. However, that hasn’t stopped other fighters from calling out the star. White didn’t reveal who he had in mind for Diaz but said the fight would take place at lightweight.
One fighter who hopes to be considered in the Diaz sweepstakes is The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 winner Warlley Alves. Alves (14-4), who is credited as the only fighter other than UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman to defeat Colby Covington, got back into the win column on Wednesday when he defeated Mounir Lazzez.
The two fought in the co-main event of UFC Fight Island 8, and the match didn’t make it past the first round. Around halfway through the opening frame, Alves landed multiple body kicks to Lazzez, dropping him. The Brazilian then rained down punches en route to a TKO victory.
And he’s BACK!
🇧🇷 @WarlleyAlvesMMA gets it done QUICK at #UFCFightIsland8.
[ #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ]
During his post-fight interview with UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier, Alves took his shot at Diaz.
“I don’t like marijuana guys. I don’t like that,” he said via MMA Junkie. “I hate that, because it’s a bad example for the sport. Nate Diaz, fight with me because I’ll prove it. Winners don’t use drugs. You’re a marijuana guy. I’m not like that. Let’s go, Nate Diaz.”
The victory over Lazzez put Alves back on the winning track, going 2-1 in his last three bouts. It was his first bout since losing to Randy Brown by triangle choke in November 2019.
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White Said A Win for Diaz Would ‘Put Him in a Really Good Position’
While speaking with with The Mac Life’s Oscar Willis, the UFC president revealed that he has a potential opponent for Diaz at 155 pounds and should the fighter from Stockton, California, win, he’ll be in a “really good position.”
“We’re working on a Nate Diaz fight right now,” White told the outlet. He confirmed that fighter isn’t No. 5-ranked lightweight Tony Ferguson, which is a fantasy matchup for many fans.
“It would put him in a really good position if he won the fight,” the UFC president continued. “And the guy who he could potentially be fighting, I think it’s a great fight for him, too.”
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Alves Has Competed in the UFC for Over 6 Years, Defeated Covington & Alan Jouban
Wasted no time to get the TKO in RD 1️⃣
🇧🇷 @WarlleyAlvesMMA back in the win column!
An 18-fight MMA veteran, Alves has fought inside the UFC’s Octagon since 2014 and has amassed a promotional record of 8-4.
He made his UFC debut during The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 finale, Miocic vs. Maldonado, winning the middleweight tournament by submitting Marcio Alexandre Jr. in the third round. Alves started his UFC career with a 4-0 streak, defeating the likes of current No. 1 contender Covington and Alan Jouban before losing his undefeated record to Bryan Barberena in May 2016.
Four of his MMA wins have come via KO/TKO, six by submission and four by decision.
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