In a stunning end to his UFC 266 fight with Robbie Lawler, Nick Diaz quits in the third round after a strike that dropped him to his knee.
From the jump, Diaz vs Lawler 2 was a non-stop action fight. For Diaz, following nearly seven years away from the sport and fighting at middleweight, it took him some time to build up some speed. “Ruthless” took advantage of the methodical start of his opponent and unleashed a flurry of punches that the Stockton native tried to block and parry.
Nick Diaz quits against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266
However, as the opening round played out, Diaz’s punches built speed and started to be unfurled in large amounts in classic Diaz fashion. The first round was a back and forth battle, but it seemed like the 38-year-old Diaz was starting to build momentum going into the second.
In the second round, Diaz continued his high output as Lawler looked to work a high-pressure strategy and keep Diaz on his back foot constantly. Both boxed, parried, took some solid blows and landed digging body strikes. During the round, the 39-year-old former UFC welterweight champion landed a stiff kick to the body that forced his opponent to back up and get some space in between him and his foe. It was a pivotal moment that swung the momentum back in his direction to close out the round.
In the third, Lawler’s pressure seemed to be having an effect on Diaz. As it became harder for him to keep Lawler at bay and he was taking more shots. Then came the moment that led to the surprising end, as Lawler landed a hook that brought Diaz to a knee. The former Strikeforce champion took another shot and choose to go to the mat and defend a barrage of ground-and-pound. However, that never came and his opponent called for him to stand back up.
Instead, when the referee asked if Diaz wanted to get up and continue, the welterweight great declined and the referee called an end to the fight in the third. Handing Lawler (29-15) his first win since 2017, and ended a four-fight losing streak.
The defeat continues a winless streak for Diaz (26-10) in his last four Octagon appearances. Because of his suspension hiatus and skid, Diaz has not won a fight since 2011.
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