UFC 263: What if Nate Diaz Wins? Preview and Predictions
After a postponement, we finally get to see Nate Diaz back in action at UFC 263. Diaz will take on fellow welterweight contender Leon Edwards on June 12th in Glendale, Arizona. The card will be headlined by Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vetorri, who are fighting for the Middleweight belt.
Nate Diaz, the first man to beat Conor McGregor in the UFC, comes in looking to earn a title shot against Kamaru Usman. Diaz has not fought since he lost to Jorge Masvidal for the BMF belt. Edwards on the other hand had a no-contest in his bought against Belal Muhammad in March. Edwards is fresh and has been in talks to get a title shot for over a year.
How will this fight go? Well, I have no idea, mostly because Nate Diaz is a wildcard. He has an iron chin, and only gets stronger as the fight goes on. Edwards is a great pure striker and has worked tirelessly on his wrestling in recent years. It is easy to see how tough Nate Diaz is from his second fight with McGregor when he took countless left hands to the jaw, and still somehow did not get knocked out. The original date of the fight was May 15th, at UFC 262, but was moved because Diaz had an injury. The extent of the injury is unknown, but it could play a factor in the outcome of the fight against Edwards. I see the fight going the distance and Edwards winning via decision. I think Edwards will be more active and pick his shots.
But what happens if Nate Diaz wins? Does he deserve a title shot? The short answer, no. The slightly longer answer, absolutely not. I love Nate Diaz, and he is as tough a human being as you will find, but he does not deserve a shot at the title if he wins. He has been inactive for a majority of the last 5 years, only fighting three times. I get it, Edwards is a top 3 welterweight contender and a win would be huge for Diaz, but it should not be enough to get a title shot. However, Dana White makes money fights, and Nate Diaz makes money, so do not be shocked if you see Diaz vs. Usman by the end of 2021 if Nate can find a way to win at UFC 263.
