UFC 266: Jorge Masvidal makes prediction for Nick Diaz's comeback against Robbie Lawler

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By Tom Ward

Published Sep 14, 2021

'This is a tough one to call for me' - Masvidal makes prediction for Diaz's comeback against Lawler at UFC 266

Jorge Masvidal has backed his rival Nick Diaz to beat Robbie Lawler when he makes his return at UFC 266 on September 25.

Diaz (26-9, 2 NC) will feature in the octagon for the first time since his 2015 defeat to Anderson Silva in a middleweight non-title bout which was later changed to a no-contest after Silva tested positive for drostanolone and androsterone.

Masvidal (35-15) will be watching his comeback fight against Lawler, the UFC's former welterweight champion, up close in Las Vegas.

BMF champion Masvidal, who is expected to be in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena, believes Diaz will be able to roll back the years and deliver another vintage performance.

“[I’m] very interested in this outcome, of course,” Masvidal told fans during a Q&A on YouTube.

“[I] love Robbie Lawler. We were teammates for about four years. [He’s] one of the better guys in the sport – just a stand-up dude, great dude, great fighter.

"I don’t think he’s the same fighter that he was four years ago.

"I haven’t seen Nick Diaz fight in eight years, so this fight to me is very, like – I don’t know what’s going to happen.

“I haven’t seen Nick fight. I didn’t know if he was staying in the best shape or not during these eight years. It’s not that ring rust is everything, but eight years is a lot of time to be sitting on the bench.

"So I want to say that Robbie hasn’t been looking like himself, he hasn’t been looking the greatest in his fights with – this is a tough one to call for me. But if I was going to put money on it, I’d probably lean toward Nick.”

'I'm going to make sure I put him in a coffin'

But it's not just Nick who Masvidal has his eye on; he also insists he is open to a potential rematch with Nate Diaz if the public want to see that fight again.

"You know what, if it was going to be the BMF belt, just because I don't like the 'he says, she says' stuff," Masvidal said.

"Have you seen the movie Troy? Have you seen when Brad is fighting one of the princes from the other side, he falls on the pebbles and he tells him, 'Get up, I won't let this pebble take away from my greatness'.

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"Same thing, you know, I won't let some doctor take away from my greatness.

"If it was for the BMF, I would just run it back with Nate, put him to sleep sleep, like where people are worried about his wellbeing for months because I did him really dirty,

"And then go from there, after that, you know, whoever comes.

"I did tell him I would give him a rematch for the BMF belt so when that happens I'm going to make sure I put him in a coffin, you know, or try to. I need that, I need that you know."