The UFC’s most famous bad boy, Nick Diaz, could be back in the octagon as early as August. With his suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission reduced to 18 months, it’s now just a matter of time before he lines up a fight. And according to Diaz, he is not “trying to do small fights.” So let’s think of a few big matchups for the Stockton native.
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WELCOME BACK, GSP
Projected Odds:
Nick Diaz +400
Georges St. Pierre -500
There sure are a lot of rumors about GSP un-retiring for another stint in the UFC. And if the superstar does come back, who better to meet him than his most heated rival? Diaz got under GSP’s skin in every way possible, disrespecting one of the most respected fighters in the promotion’s history before, during and after their bout.
Although the fight wasn’t very close, with St. Pierre, grounding and controlling Diaz for large portions of it, nobody would be complaining about a rematch between the two. It’s difficult to see a different result though, as there’s no reason to doubt that GSP still possesses world-class wrestling.
The odds at BookMaker would assuredly make GSP a heavy favorite in this bout, even though it’s been awhile since he’s fought professionally.
THE CONOR CONUNDRUM
Projected Odds:
Nick Diaz +150
Conor McGregor -175
Yes, it was little bro Nate that made an expletive-laden callout of McGregor, and older bro Nick is a welterweight. But Nick stated recently that he would absolutely drop weight to make that fight, and he has fought at 155 before - although it’s been a while since his last bout as a lightweight.
While I’d love to see either Diaz brother face McGregor, we have to give the nod to Diaz as the original Stockton bad boy. This is exactly the type of big fight that gets Diaz going, and the antics between the two in the pre-fight buildup and the match itself would be worth the price of admission. It’s hard to believe that Nick would jump ahead of Nate to make the matchup, so this is a bout we’ll most likely have to dream about.
While I’d favor Diaz to win, McGregor’s popularity makes him a favorite in my projected odds. With the action that McGregor generates, sportsbooks are forced to try and even things out by moving the Irishman into chalk territory.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Projected Odds:
Nick Diaz +160
Rory MacDonald -190
While a rematch between Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz sounds like it’d be guaranteed violence, their first fight was a major letdown. Condit refused to engage, instead sticking and moving to take Diaz’ volume offense out of the equation. So we move on to MacDonald, who’s coming off a Fight of the Year with Robbie Lawler.
That fight raised MacDonald’s stock and popularity with fans, enough to make a fight with Diaz a “big fight.” The Canadian has repeatedly shown that he’s willing to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the division, and that’s exactly what we want to see in a Diaz fight. There are few things as exciting as watching Diaz throw endless punches in bunches.
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