Robbie Lawler admits Nick Diaz fight got him excited to fight again: “I thank him”

Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler has found his fire again, and he thanks Nick Diaz for that.

‘Ruthless’ has been struggling in the octagon since 2016. Lawler lost his UFC welterweight strap to Tyron Woodley in July of that year, and he was unable to get back on the right track. Following that defeat, he went 1-4 in the cage, with defeats to names such as Colby Covington and Ben Askren.

It seemed like the 40-year-old was likely getting close to hanging up the gloves. However, it seems that he’s now rejuvenated. Lawler has thanked his most recent opponent, Nick Diaz, for getting him excited to fight again.

The two clashed at UFC 266 last September, in a rematch of their fight at UFC 47 in 2003. The first encounter ended in a knockout loss for Robbie Lawler. However, he avenged that stoppage defeat last year, by finishing Nick Diaz in round three of their rematch.

Now ahead of his return at UFC 276 against Bryan Barberena, Robbie Lawler has reflected on his rematch with Nick Diaz. In an interview with MMAFighting, the former champion thanked the Stockton-native for getting him fired up to compete.

Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler at UFC 266

“It was just another fight for me, but he definitely got me excited to fight again. That camp went really well, I was firing on all cylinders. Everyone at Sanford MMA did a great job getting me ready for the fight, so it was nice to go out there and put on a good performance for the fans to see.” (h/t MMAFighting)

“Obviously he’s a big name and he got me excited. I still lost 17 years ago, so it’s just all about getting better and still competing, trying to get to a high level, and just be excited. I thank him for getting me excited again.”

What did you think about Robbie Lawler’s rematch with Nick Diaz? Sound off in the comments below!