UFC President Dana White has reacted to the buzz surrounding a potential comeback for former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz.
Diaz, who is also a former UFC welterweight title challenger, has reportedly undergone a test fight camp and weight cut and is plotting a comeback in 2021.
This is Nick Diaz earlier today. He weighs in the 175-165 pound range, per his manager Kevin Mubenga.
He just completed a 14-week diet and training regimen. This is the first time he cuts weight in approximately four years, Mubenga said. Diaz wanted to do a test cut because … pic.twitter.com/5A8EvyLeUn— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 7, 2020
… he is keeping a close eye on the big welterweight fights coming up. He is “100%” planning on fighting again, per Mubenga, and is targeting an early 2021 return. (📽 @elfrogito)
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 7, 2020
“This is Nick Diaz earlier today,” ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported late last week. “He weighs in the 175-165 pound range, per his manager Kevin Mubenga. He just completed a 14-week diet and training regimen. This is the first time he cuts weight in approximately four years, Mubenga said. Diaz wanted to do a test cut because he is keeping a close eye on the big welterweight fights coming up. He is ‘100%’ planning on fighting again, per Mubenga, and is targeting an early 2021 return.”
While this news has caused a lot of excitement inside the MMA bubble, Dana White is already moderating expectations, noting that while there are currently talks underway with Diaz and his camp, that’s nothing new.
“Listen, the Nick Diaz thing,” White said. “First of all, we would never have released that or done that. We’ll see how this thing plays out. I don’t have any expectations whatsoever. We’ll see what happens.
“There’s been talking, but there’s been talking for years,” White added.
Diaz has not fought since January of 2015, when he lost a decision to former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in a fight that was later ruled a No Contest when both fighters failed drug tests.