Nick Diaz will return to professional mixed martial arts after a nearly three-year hiatus, facing Vicente Luque on August 3, 2024 at UFC on ABC 7. However, Diaz is no stranger to long periods of inactivity, having previously not fought for six years. This will be his third fight in the past decade. Diaz is one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster and has plenty of elite experience, but this inactivity and lack of performance in the cage has led to him not winning in the sport for 13 years.
Diaz reigned at the top of the sport for the majority of his career, winning the inaugural welterweight titles in both WEC and Strikeforce. He began his professional MMA career in 2001 and fought for UFC as early as 2003, scoring major wins during his first tenure with the organization. He fought for nearly every major MMA organization, including appearances for PRIDE and Dream when he first left UFC. Along the way, he built a reputation as one of the toughest and most entertaining fighters in the sport, leading to his return to UFC in 2011.
Diaz won his return bout against BJ Penn, but it was his final time in the Octagon. The following year he lost a welterweight title bout to Carlos Condit, and the following year he lost another title bout to Georges St-Pierre. After a short hiatus, he faced Anderson Silva in a superfight at UFC 183, but also lost, resulting in a no contest. Failing a test kept him out of action for several years, but he eventually lost a rematch against Robbie Lawler by TKO, which was his final official bout.
Nick Diaz has just returned to MMA but he faces a tough new opponent in Vicente Luque. Not only is Luque eight years younger than Diaz, he is also ranked #14 in the UFC welterweight division. Luque boasts a respectable professional MMA record of 22 wins, 10 losses and 1 draw, and despite his losses, Luque is a dangerous opponent for anyone in his weight class. A win would likely see Diaz ranked for the first time in a long time, and it would be a great opportunity for Luque to bounce back and add a big name to his resume.
In a recent post on his official Instagram account, Nick Diaz announced the news that he will be making his return to professional mixed martial arts at UFC on ABC 7 against Vicente Luque.
