In any form of prizefighting, it’s often the one that has the belt that draws the most attention from its contemporaries. Then there are fighters like the Diaz brothers. As soon as the news broke out that Nick Diaz will make his return, everyone rushed to social media so that they can have a piece of Stockton’s very own.

While the elder Diaz brother can draw in the numbers irrespective of the opponent, the right opponent can even lead to them headlining an event. At 38 years of age, not much is known about how often Nick wants to fight once he returns. However, the value behind his name has led to several fighters calling him out.

Diaz’s manager has said that his client took a trial weight cut following a long training regime. Consequently, he weighed around the ballpark of the welterweight division. Therefore, for any more speculations, we would assume he is coming back at welterweight.

That rules out Darren Till as a potential contender for Diaz. The Brit called him out on social media yesterday. However, the fact that he moved up to 185-pounds will work against him in this case.

Before we move ahead, we have an honorable mention. The BMF champ, Jorge Masvidal, has already headlined a sold-out event at MSG. It would be crazy to imagine the potential of a Nick vs Jorge fight. However, Masvidal will most likely rematch Nate Diaz.

With that out of the way, let’s dive right into the three most likely opponents for the return of Nick Diaz.

3. Anthony Pettis

A former champion, Anthony Pettis is past his better days in MMA. Where he is right now, he is looking for fights that make sense money-wise. He tried to book one against Anderson Silva, but up to no avail. With Silva unavailable, Diaz can be the best alternative that he could ever wish for.

Pettis’ flamboyant style will ensure that the fight remains interesting inside the Octagon. As far as the affairs outside of it are concerned, it’s safe to say Diaz will take care of it. In case Nick Diaz is looking for more than just a one-off fight, Pettis can also be the perfect one to start off with.

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2. Leon Edwards

Agreed that Leon Edwards is a big step up in competition compared to Pettis, but for Nick Diaz, the benefits will increase as well. Edwards is on an eight-fight winning streak. Even then, he has hasn’t competed for almost fourteen months. A fight with Nick Diaz brings with itself ample perks for both of them.

Daniel Cormier explained this best in the recent edition of DC and Helwani. While Edwards is close to a title shot, what is missing from his resume is the one win that turns the head of the audience towards him. Moreover, given that the other top welterweights are booked right now, the pairing with Nick makes even more sense.

On Nick’s part, the fight will give him the best opportunity to leapfrog into the title picture, just in case he wants to do so.

1. Robbie Lawler

Robbie Lawler vs Nick Diaz II could have been one of the most exciting rematches in the history of the organization. However, we never got to watch them run it back inside the Octagon.

The two met for the first time at UFC 247 in 2004. Despite Lawler being the favorite, Diaz walked him down and finished the fight in the second round. Both the fighters have since had equally good careers. Lawler became a UFC champion while Diaz possibly saw his best days in Strikeforce, where he stitched together his winning streak.

However, now the two are at the twilight of their careers. Diaz has stayed away for the most part of the previous decade. On the other hand, Lawler is currently in between the biggest slump of his career.

A fight between the two won’t have a lot of significance going forward. However, fans will — without a second thought — tune in to watch the two recreate the memory of the old days.