Din Thomas has called out Nick Diaz for requesting a swap from welterweight to middleweight just days before his fight against Robbie Lawler.
It was reported earlier in the week that Diaz, who has been known to make waves during fight week before, had asked the UFC to change his fight versus Lawler from 170 pounds to 185 pounds. It appears as if Lawler obliged, meaning the change was confirmed for UFC 266.
As per Thomas, however, he feels as if that essentially equates to borderline cheating from Diaz’s camp.
https://twitter.com/MMAonSiriusXM/status/1440785726065496064
“I don’t like it, honestly. I don’t like the fact he would pull this on Robbie so close to the fight. There’s a 15-pound difference. That’s a big deal. We’re not talking a five-pound, ‘Yo, let’s make it a catchweight.’ We’re talking a 15-pound difference. And Robbie’s not a big guy anyway. So the fact that Nick Diaz is probably like, ‘Yeah, you know what? I don’t feel like making the weight. So I’m just gonna ask for 185. If they don’t take it, then screw ’em.’”
“To me, that’s foul play, man. That’s almost like cheating, to be honest. I mean, we put so much on weight-cutting. I mean, that’s the one thing that everyone puts a lot of value into, and that’s making weight. Making weight. But then, when two days before the fight or weigh-in, you go, ‘Nah, I want 15 pounds?’ To me, that is almost like cheating or just saying, ‘Yo, I didn’t want to make the weight.’ I think it’s unfair to Robbie. If I was Robbie, I don’t think I would’ve took it.”