Nick Diaz "100%" targeting 2021 UFC comeback

2020 never ceases to surprise, as it seems like former title challenger and fan favourite Nick Diaz is preparing a comeback to the UFC.

ESPN’s Ariel Helwani posted a video of Diaz, and revealed that he had been in contact with the fighter’s manager Kevin Mubenga. Supposedly Diaz did a 14 week test weight cut, his first in over four years, and has been keeping a close eye on the happenings in the UFC welterweight division. Per Helwani, Diaz is targeting a return to the UFC next year.

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

“This is Nick Diaz earlier today,” Helwani wrote. “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.”

Diaz hasn’t competed in over five years. He last fought at UFC 183, facing Anderson Silva in a middleweight contest. The fight went the distance, with Silva winning on the judges’ scorecards, however the Brazilian would test positive for steroids while Diaz tested positive for marijuana, with the result changing to No Contest. In a bizarre twist, USADA would suspend Diaz for five years, though the sentence was later reduced to two years. This only egged on the contention between Diaz and USADA, and seemed to ensure that he wouldn’t return.

So far he holds a 1-2, 1 NC, with a win over BJ Penn, and decision losses to Carlos Condit and Georges St-Pierre.