Nick Diaz is set to make his return to the Octagon after nearly three years, facing off against Vicente Luque in a five-round co-main event at UFC Abu Dhabi on August 3. This highly anticipated fight was announced by UFC CEO Dana White, who also revealed other exciting matchups for the event.
In addition to Diaz vs. Luque, fans can look forward to a welterweight battle between Tony Ferguson and Michael Chiesa. White also announced that the winner of the Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov fight will earn a bantamweight title shot as the No. 1 contender for the belt. This fight was previously announced as the main event for the Abu Dhabi card.
For Diaz, this will mark his first fight since September 2021 when he suffered a TKO loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. The 40-year-old fighter’s last victory dates back to 2011 when he defeated BJ Penn at UFC 137. Despite his long layoff, Diaz remains a fan favorite and his return to the Octagon is highly anticipated.
The rest of the main card in Abu Dhabi will feature Marlon “Chito” Vera taking on former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in a bantamweight bout, as well as a strawweight match between Mackenzie Dern and Loopy Godinez. With such exciting matchups on the card, UFC fans are in for a thrilling night of fights in Abu Dhabi.