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Nick Diaz never really wants to fight.
That’s according to the former welterweight title challenger, who is just days away from making his long-awaited return to UFC 266 for a five-round battle against Robbie Lawler.
Of course, Diaz has never hidden the fact that he doesn’t like to fight, and that hasn’t changed in the six years away since his previous appearance in 2015. That said, Diaz is back. , even if it is still in conflict. feelings about his place in sport.
“I never liked to fight,” Diaz told ESPN.com. “It’s just something I do. It’s just what I do. I tried to get away from it, but it’s really inevitable. He is. All the people around me and all the money and the sponsors, they won’t let me get away from the fight. There are things I could do, but it’s not going to work. I might as well go take my punches.
“I don’t want to look back and say, ‘Why didn’t I just do it? I feel good about fighting, I don’t feel good about everything. But if I don’t do that, I don’t know how I’m going to feel two years from now if I’m sitting here like, ‘Why didn’t I go do these fights, I would win it?’ “
While Diaz has spent much of his career making it one of the best MMA fighters in the world, regardless of his weight class, he has never reveled in his celebrity status, let alone the stress that comes with it. the fight itself.
Diaz said there was a time when he was happy with his involvement in the sport. But these days he feels like fighting is all he knows, which is why it’s so hard for him to stay away.
“Nothing – nothing at all,” Diaz replied when asked what he liked about the sport. ” It is not pleasant. This is all for everyone. I’m glad the fans are happy, and they like [what I’m doing] and that’s just what keeps them going. It got me going when I was a kid. Five months later, I was like, “In five months, I’ll be good” and in five months, I was good. Then, “After doing 5-0, I’ll be so good,” and I didn’t even get to 5-0, then I had to come back for more. After that, there was no way out.
“I see the kids, I’m trying to tell them, are you sure you want to do this kid?” I love to teach and train and be part of sport. I have a few fights left, and if I can survive that and keep going for a bit, it’s probably a better option than not fighting.
Despite his feelings for the fight, Diaz still thinks he’s the best at what he does, which is why he would have much preferred to jump to the front of the line to face the reigning welterweight champion of UFC Kamaru Usman rather than facing an old nemesis like Robbie Lawler for the second time.
When they first met in 2004, Diaz knocked out Lawler in the second round – and he really doesn’t want to have to do that to him again. He would rather face Usman instead.
” I believe that [I’m the best fighter in the world]Diaz said. “I think I’ll beat Usman’s sh * t. I have a better chance of beating Usman than Lawler, just because I’ve beaten Lawler before. It doesn’t make sense. for me to go out there and fight Robbie Lawler again.
“I don’t know why I’m doing this. It shouldn’t happen. Whoever put this in place is an idiot. I don’t know why I am doing this. I don’t know why this is happening. I should fight Kamaru Usman and that’s it.
Another reason Diaz feels so conflicted ahead of his return to UFC 266 is because his brother Nate also competes in welterweight these days.
“I don’t want to fight the guys my brother just fought,” Diaz said. “My brother is fighting with the same weight as me, so it’s a little hard, because I don’t want to get in his way and he gets in my way, then I get in his way and I’m like , ‘Hey brother, take all of this, because that’s what I wanted for you, was to be okay.’ I really sacrificed myself for him.
“I’m going to go out there and fight Robbie Lawler again, and he doesn’t deserve to get his ass fucked hard, and I know I’m going to beat him and I don’t want to.” If I lose, I don’t want to lose to Robbie Lawler. I have already beaten him. It just sucks.
The inner turmoil Diaz is feeling isn’t new to him, but that won’t stop him from setting foot in the cage on Saturday night.
“I feel pretty good today,” Diaz said. “I hope I feel as good as a fighting day as I do today. I just feel ready to fight.
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