Nate Diaz believes he would’ve had Leon Edwards dead in the water if they were in a street fight.
Diaz returned to action last night (June 12). He shared the Octagon with Edwards on the main card of UFC 263 inside the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. While Diaz rocked Edwards at the end of the fight and had him struggling to survive, it wasn’t enough. Edwards’s performance was near-flawless until the final moments of the fight and he earned a unanimous decision win.
During the post-fight press conference, Diaz gave “Rocky” props for the victory but he said he would’ve been the clear winner in a street fight.
“At the end of the day, I felt like he won or whatever, but I feel like I’m the better fighter still regardless. And I feel like the peak of the fight is what matters in a fight anyway, what happened in the end. And no hate on Leon. Congratulations to him. And why would you fight anybody but the top guy if you’re gonna fight at all?
“In a real fight, in a real war, that fight’s a wrap. So yeah, he was sleepwalking.”
With the loss to Edwards, Diaz’s record falls to 20-13. The Stockton native did note that he’ll be ready to fight again in four months. Diaz hasn’t been shy in sitting on the sidelines if he feels the political game is being played. Time will tell how soon we see him back inside the Octagon.
As for Edwards, he’ll maintain his place as the number three-ranked UFC welterweight. UFC President Dana White told reporters that he’s still committed to giving Colby Covington the next shot at Kamaru Usman’s 170-pound gold. Whether Edwards will wait for his chance or have to take another fight remains to be seen.
