UFC 266: A look back at Nick Diaz’s incredible journey back to the Octagon after six years away

Nick Diaz returns to the Octagon to face Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 on Saturday night in essentially the most inconceivable combat of the yr. Not solely is Diaz preventing for the primary time since 2015, he is doing so towards a person he first fought in 2004.

Diaz’s wild profession is among the most original in MMA historical past. He was the primary WEC welterweight champion, a star for the UFC within the early 2000s, a Strikeforce champion, a multi-time UFC title challenger and essentially the most seen determine within the battle to legalize marijuana in fight sports activities.

After failing a drug check for marijuana metabolites for the second time in his profession following a loss to Anderson Silva in 2015, Diaz confronted a wild battle with the Nevada State Athletic Fee, which handed down a 5 yr suspension — later decreased to 18 months — and sidelined the Stockton, California-based fighter on the peak of his star energy.

Now, Diaz returns to tackle one other fan-favorite brawler in a rematch of a battle from April 2004.

This week, Brian Campbell and Luke Thomas took a glance again by Diaz’s profession with an in-depth Resume Overview on “Morning Kombat”.

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Let’s check out two fights from Diaz’s profession the CBS Sports activities specialists imagine to be his high career-defining moments.

vs. KJ Noons (Nov. 10, 2007): Among the many many turning-point fights in a profession as lengthy and embellished as Nick Diaz’s, there wasn’t a single one which produced as dramatic an prompt consequence than his 2007 loss to KJ Noons of their first assembly for the inaugural EliteXC light-weight championship. Noons, a former professional boxer, routinely landed the tougher photographs because the counter puncher and reduce Diaz unhealthy sufficient that the combat was stopped by the cageside physician after the primary spherical. Diaz was so distraught by the setback that he stormed out of the cage and flipped off your complete enviornment with each palms earlier than exiting. The combat turned out to be the final in an thrilling run during which Diaz’s protection was largely nonexistent as he took punishment and marched ahead to make one motion combat after one other. However the aftermath went a good distance in Diaz tightening up his craft and turning into extra of a calculated stalker. Together with his rematch with Noons three years later, during which Diaz gained revenge by defending the Strikeforce welterweight title, Stockton’s most interesting went on to win 11 straight fights following the primary Noons defeat together with victories over Frank Shamrock, Paul Daley and BJ Penn. Diaz additionally achieved cult standing within the course of.— Brian Campbell

vs. Takanori Gomi (Feb. 24, 2007): No combat extra completely sums up the profession of Nick Diaz than his PRIDE 33 non-title battle with then-lightweight champion Takanori Gomi. Gomi scored a knockdown and opened cuts beneath each of Diaz’s eyes, however Diaz remained relentless and took over the combat on the ft earlier than ending it within the second spherical with a particularly uncommon gogoplata submission. Showcasing his spectacular boxing and inventive submission assault, Diaz upset among the best lightweights on the planet in what was his personal debut within the division. Then, Diaz misplaced the win after testing constructive for marijuana metabolites. The already-antiquated marijuana guidelines had been enforced by Nevada State Athletic Fee officers who attributed Diaz’s victory to his use of the drug, with then-commission chair Tony Alamo saying, “I used to be there at this combat and imagine that you just had been intoxicated and… that it made you numb to the ache. Did it allow you to win? I feel it did.” Diaz and the NSAC would do battle once more in 2015, finally ending Diaz’s profession for greater than 5 years. — Brent Brookhouse