Nate Diaz Floats Potential December UFC Return

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Bottari - Zuffa LLC

With the elder Diaz sibling -- Nick Diaz making his first Octagon walk in over six and a half years last weekend at UFC 266, former lightweight title challenger, Nate Diaz appears to be approaching his second Octagon walk of this year, floating a potential December UFC return.

In attendance at UFC 266 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada last weekend, Nate watched on as elder brother returned to the Octagon for the first time since January 2015 -- rematching former undisputed welterweight kingpin, Robbie Lawler.

Earning Fight of the Night honours in his return to the Octagon, Stockton veteran, Diaz suffered an eventual third round TKO loss against Lawler, who avenged his April 2004 knockout defeat to the former WEC and Strikeforce welterweight titleholder.

For the younger Diaz sibling, Nate, he last featured professionally at UFC 263 in June -- tackling the #3 ranked welterweight, Leon Edwards in the first five round, non-title, non-main event in the history of the organization. 

Suffering a unanimous decision defeat to the Team Renegade BJJ & MMA mainstay, a bloodied Diaz voiced his interest in a return to the Octagon before the close of the year, with his elder brother Nick attending the press conference post-fight, expressing how beneficial it was that the two of them would be competing this year.

Over the course of last month, rumblings linked Diaz with an appearance at the promotion's final pay-per-view event of this year at UFC 269, with the former sending fans into raptures last night, by simply tweeting "December" paired with a closed fist emoji. 

December 👊🏼

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) September 28, 2021

Diaz has continuously angled for a fight with former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier, however, the Lafayette native stressed the likelihood he fights for an undisputed title next -- with a championship clash against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Charles Oliveira currently targeted to headline that UFC 269 card on December 11.

Another potential opponent linked with a bout against Diaz is the surging Sanford MMA trainee, Vicente Luque -- who clinched the #4 rank at welterweight with an eye-catching opening round D'Arce choke win over Michael Chiesa at UFC 265 in August. 

Former interim lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson has also been linked with an eventual leap to the welterweight limit -- a division where he won The Ultimate Fighter back in June 2011, with fans clamouring for a matchup between Diaz and Ferguson next.