Lawler reveals how ‘big opportunity’ to fight Diaz came about
Robbie Lawler wasn’t really expecting to fight Nick Diaz again, but he’s glad for the opportunity.
Robbie Lawler says the UFC came to him with the Nick Diaz rematch out of the blue and that he wasn’t really expecting the fight to go ahead.
But he’s thankful for the opportunity, as ‘Ruthless’ will get the chance to avenge his KO loss to Diaz from their first welterweight matchup at UFC 47 and is excited to return to the octagon and put on a show for the fans on Saturday night.
“I didn’t really think of it at all really. It just came when I came I wasn’t out there looking for it,” Lawler said of the Diaz matchup in a recent interview with FanSided.
“I think the UFC probably wanted it and I have no idea actually because I don’t really play those games. It’s like alright, usually they come to me, ‘let’s fight’ so could have been a conversation between my manager, and then who knows but obviously it’s a big fight and definitely one that gets me training hard.”
“It was one of those things where they offered me the fight, my manager told me about and I’m like, ‘Okay, I guess we’ll see if it happens’ and just, week after week they’re like okay it looks like it’s gonna happen so you never know with Nick and obviously there’s been talk of him fighting in the past so just obviously a big opportunity to fight a big name. A lot of fans are excited.”
The highly anticipated welterweight bout was recently bumped up to middleweight because Diaz ‘probably doesn’t want to make weight,’ per UFC president Dana White.
UFC 266, which features Lawler vs. Diaz 2 on the main card, takes place this Saturday, Sept. 25 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.