Nick Diaz set to train with Cesar Gracie ahead of targeted return fight against Robbie Lawler

Nick Diaz is targeted to make his return to the sport at UFC 266 against Robbie Lawler.

Diaz, who has been out of the sport since 2015, has been rumored to fight again for years. It was reported he was set to fight Jorge Masvidal at UFC 235, but Diaz denied that and the fight fizzled out. Now, however, Dana White announced he’s targeting Diaz vs. Lawler 2 as the co-main event of UFC 266 in a very intriguing matchup.

As of right now, though, the fight has not been made official, but Cesar Gracie BJJ announced they will be training Diaz ahead of his return fight, likely signaling that a deal is close.

Happy to announce I’m officially representing @nickdiaz209 and will be helping him prepare for his next fight. Hope to make an announcement soon.

— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) July 12, 2021

Happy to announce I’m officially representing @nickdiaz209 and will be healing him prepare for his next fight. Hope to make an announcement soon.

It will be interesting to see how Diaz fares in his return fight. He hasn’t competed since 2015 when he dropped a decision to Anderson Silva which was overturned to a No Contest after both men failed USADA tests. There’s no question he will have likely lost a step due to his age and time off, but Diaz is always in shape and will have tremendous cardio for this fight. He’s also been helping his brother, Nate, prepare for his fights, so he has been in the gym training MMA.

It also shouldn’t be a surprise that Diaz will be doing his training camp at Cesar Gracie BJJ as he’s been there for years now. He has been loyal to his team and he will have the usual cast of characters for his targeted rematch against Robbie Lawler.

Diaz’s fight is targeted to take place at UFC 266 on September 25 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Brian Ortega in the main event.

Are you excited to see Nick Diaz fight again?