Colby Covington, Ben Askren, Cory Sandhagen Predict Nate Diaz vs Leon Edwards

Published 06/12/2021, 3:25 PM EDT

Nate Diaz is set to return to the Octagon for the first time since his UFC 244 loss to Jorge Masvidal in 2019. The Stockton native is set to take on Leon Edwards in a welterweight clash.

Also, the fight is historic in many ways as this is the first time a non-title, non-main event UFC clash is scheduled for 5 rounds of action.

Ahead of this mega clash UFC stars expressed their take on who they believe is going to come out triumphant. A win for either man can guarantee a title shot for them. So, the stakes are as high as one can expect them to be.

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Colby Covington believes this is the last of Diaz inside the Octagon. He added that it’s an easy fight for ‘Rocky’ and discredited the Englishman for fighting Diaz.

Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling picked Edwards to win as well. Aljo believes Nate’s recent inactivity might cause his downfall.

Edson Barboza and Ben Askren also favored Edwards to be victorious in this contest. Middleweight Krzysztof Jotko sided with Diaz to pull off an upset.

Anthony Smith said he is a huge Diaz fan. But ‘Lionheart’ believes the game has passed the Stockton native. The former light-heavyweight title challenger picked Edwards to beat him. Aleksandar Rakic and Cory Sandhagen also picked Edwards to win the fight. Cody Stamann has Diaz as his pick.

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Nate Diaz vs Leon Edwards: What to expect?

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Diaz’s inactivity is a cause of concern for his fans. But Edwards hasn’t been too active lately too. He has fought only once since 2019 and that fight lasted for a very short time. So, it’s hard to give either fighter the advantage over the other in that matter.

One might argue that ‘Rocky‘ is probably built better for the welterweight frame. But Diaz has an uncanny endurance. Also, his ability to absorb damage is unmatched.

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If anybody is able to cause an upset and defy the odds, it’s Nate Diaz. Nevertheless, fans will be in for a treat when both men collide at UFC 263.

WATCH: Nate Diaz Narrates His Entire Journey in His UFC Career

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Apratim Banerjee is an MMA author for EssentiallySports and has been writing professionally for almost a year. Before his current gig, Apratim worked as a UFC writer for Sportskeeda. A long-time MMA fan, Apratim has developed a critical eye for the sport that has helped him transfer his vast knowledge to his copies and give hardcore and casual readers a detailed insight into the fights and fighters.

Colby Covington, Ben Askren, Cory Sandhagen Predict Nate Diaz vs Leon Edwards

Nate Diaz vs Leon Edwards: What to expect?

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