Sep 25, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Robbie Lawler moves in for a hit against Nick Diaz during UFC 266 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Robbie Lawler praises ‘killer’ Nick Diaz after a hard-fought win at UFC 266.
Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz have plenty of shared history together, fighting against one another twice over a 17-year-period. Lawler got the better of Diaz this time around with a TKO victory at UFC 266.
For as long as the fight lasted, it was an extremely entertaining fight between two UFC legends. Diaz and Lawler both appeared in phenomenal shape and put on an old-fashioned scrap to the delight of the crowd at T-Mobile Arena.
After a barrage of hard strikes in Round 3, Diaz fell to the canvas and was unable to continue the fight. During his post-fight press conference, Lawler praised Diaz for his approach to his return to the octagon.
“Hats off to him, he’s a killer,” Lawler said. “We went out there looking to push the pace and make it a war. He brought the best out of me and I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a hell of a guy and a warrior. In this sport, you want the best for your opponents and tonight just wasn’t his night.”
Robbie Lawler snapped a recent losing skid with the win at UFC 266
Lawler’s win over Diaz was huge for his UFC tenure, as he snapped a four-fight losing streak. He most recently fell to Neil Magny at UFC Vegas 8 and many around the MMA community wondered if Lawler was in the final chapter of his career.
It’s not far-fetched to say that Lawler isn’t probably looking at competing for a title again anytime soon, but he showed that he’s still capable of hard-fought victories. It’ll be fascinating to see what’s next for both UFC fan favorites.