Following his win over Jorge Masvidal in boxing this past weekend, Nate Diaz expressed interest in avenging a previous loss of his.
Diaz is keen to run it back with the current UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, despite no longer being signed to the promotion.
He faced “Rocky” back at UFC 263 in his second to last appearance inside the Octagon, where he lost the fight via unanimous decision.
During a recent podcast, former UFC champions Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman disagreed on whether this rematch taking place is a possibility.
Henry Cejudo & Kamaru Usman Debate Nate Diaz Walking Straight Into A UFC Title Shot
Cejudo believes that given the name value and attention that Diaz brings to the table, he could potentially step back into a title shot. He said on the Pound 4 Pound podcast that a rematch with Edwards could potentially happen if both sides wanted it.
“He called out Leon Edwards for the strap at 170-pounds, you don’t think Dana would give it to him? You don’t think Dana would give him that fight? Remember dude, the UFC is an entertainment company and if he’s able to bring those pay-per-view numbers and especially if a guy like Leon Edwards calls for the fight, he could potentially get it.”
Usman, interrupted his podcast co-host, passionately disagreeing with Cejudo on the options that are currently available to Diaz.
He used Cejudo’s own career as an example of why the Stockton fighter wouldn’t be able to jump right back in at the top in the UFC, despite his profile.
“Let’s get serious here Henry, what?! You think, ‘Oh yes I want to fight Leon Edwards’ and he just jumps in and he gets a title shot? Are you serious? Come on Henry. Henry you were two-division champion and you came back and you fought Merab so basically, you had to earn the shot at Sean O’Malley. So you’re saying that he should just definitely come in and get it just because he has numbers?”
Usman also countered the point made by Cejudo regarding the narrative of the fight between Edwards and Diaz that went down in 2021.
Despite dominating the fight, the Brit had to face some adversity in the final moments of the contest after being caught clean by his opponent.
Usman does not believe that this one aspect is enough for a rematch to make sense between them at this stage in both men’s careers.
“He landed it, it was an incredible punch but that does not warrant him all because of that. He had one moment in the fight, we’re going to give him a title shot just because… get serious bro!”
