UFC analyst Laura Sanko hopes that Nick Diaz’s callout of Israel Adesanya doesn’t come to fruition.
The Stockton native has been out of action since his rematch with Robbie Lawler in September 2021. The bout ended a six-year hiatus for the former Strikeforce champion, as he hadn’t competed since his no-contest with Anderson Silva in January 2015.
In his rematch with ‘Ruthless’, the former UFC title challenger had his moments. However, Diaz wound up losing by third-round TKO as he declined to fight on after being dropped. The outing was a disappointing one, as Dana White openly pondered if the fan-favorite should fight again.
Since that time, Nick Diaz himself has been quiet as to a return. However, his coaching and training partners have revealed the former Strikeforce champion was compromised heading into UFC 266. According to reports, Diaz had been fighting with an injured back against Lawler.
Earlier this month, the former UFC title challenger finally revealed his plans for a comeback and named Israel Adesanya as an ideal opponent. The comments generated a lot of excitement, but there were also many who hit back against the fight. It’s safe to say that Laura Sanko is amongst those who don’t want to see the matchup.
“Listen, for guys like Nick, I like legacy-type fights,” stated Sanko in a recent interview with Submission Radio. “I like old school versus old school type of fights. I don’t love these, I wouldn’t want to see him fight Izzy. I’m not saying he couldn’t, you know, hold his own. But when we saw him comeback last time, that would be the way I would want to finish it.”
She continued, “I don’t mean to be retiring the guy because he’s such a legend. But, if I’m being honest, I want Nick to go on and have a great life and enjoy himself beyond MMA and beyond fighting and beyond the UFC. I think he deserves that.”
Regardless of when Nick Diaz returns, he likely won’t be facing Israel Adesanya. ‘The Last Stylebender’ is currently aiming to face Alex Pereira in a rematch for the UFC middleweight title next year.
What do you make of these comments? Do you want to see the fight? Sound off in the comment section below PENN Nation!