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ANAHEIM, California – Anyway, how long is three years, right?
In his highly anticipated return in the Octagon, Nate Diaz brilliantly made a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) over Anthony Pettis at the main co-event of the UFC 241 Saturday night at the Honda Center.
Diaz has not fought since his defeat against Conor McGregor at UFC 202 on August 20, 2016. But he has imposed his will on Pettis early and often. Diaz was able to squeeze Pettis against the cage each turn and touch the combinations of punches, elbows and knees. He closed the first and third rounds in good positions on the field, an area he also controlled when the fight went there.
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Subsequently, Diaz said that he was interested in fighting Jorge Masvidal. He said he was impressed by Ben Askren's victory in Masvidal's five-final final last month. Diaz said that there was not a lot of "gangsters" left in the MMA, but he considers Masvidal to be one.
"But he's not a West Coast gangster," said Diaz, a Stockton, Calif. Native, who took advantage of a huge crowd of fans Saturday night.
The best lap of Diaz was the third. As has happened several times before, Diaz pushed Pettis against the cage and launched a long combination of punches. Pettis dropped, but survived until the end of the round.
Pettis had his moments at every turn. By striking from a distance, he was more efficient than Diaz. In the end, Diaz was cut near his right eye. But every time Pettis started to gain momentum from outside, Diaz reduced the score and made it a decisive fight, which he dominated.
The fight was played in welterweight, although both men have spent the majority of their careers in light weights. Diaz is now the fifth fighter in the history of the UFC to have recorded more than 2,000 total strikes.
Diaz (20-11) went 1-1 against McGregor in 2016. It was two of the biggest pay-per-view events in the history of the UFC. Diaz, 34, has a huge cult among his supporters for his irreverence, his thrilling fighting style and his propensity to knock down a double bird. But he had not fought since the year of the stars because he had not been able to deal with the UFC.
Pettis (22-9), the former UFC lightweight champion, had just won a knockout victory over Stephen Thompson. "Showtime" has alternated wins and losses since 2016. Pettis, 32, has been one of the most marketable stars of the UFC over the years. He has already had his image on the boxes of Wheaties.
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