Nick Diaz will return to UFC in September, fight Robbie Lawler

Nick Diaz volition travel retired of status and marque his instrumentality to the UFC connected Sept. 25 astatine T-Mobile Arena, radical acquainted with the lawsuit confirmed to the Review-Journal.

Diaz volition combat welterweight Robbie Lawler 17 years aft their archetypal gathering connected a UFC 266 paper that volition see 2 rubric fights.

Alexander Volkanovski volition support his featherweight rubric against Brian Ortega, and Lauren Murphy volition situation Valentina Shevchenko for the women’s flyweight belt.

Diaz, who turns 38 connected Aug. 2, figures to beryllium the biggest communicative connected the card. He hasn’t fought since 2015 and hasn’t won a bout since 2011, yet remains 1 of the UFC’s astir fashionable fighters.

Diaz knocked retired Lawler successful the 2nd circular of a memorable 2004 bout astatine UFC 47. Diaz went connected to triumph the Strikeforce title, and Lawler yet became UFC champion.

“It’s combat time,” Diaz posted connected Twitter. “Kill oregon beryllium killed.”

The past clip Diaz fought, helium mislaid a determination to Anderson Silva that was ruled a no-contest erstwhile some fighters failed cause tests.

Diaz has tested affirmative for marijuana and been disciplined respective times. The Nevada Athletic Commission voted past week to region sanctions for marijuana.

Lawler, 39, has mislaid 4 straight, including by unanimous determination to Neil Magny successful August.

The main lawsuit bout betwixt Volkanovski and Ortega had been scheduled for March, but Volkanovski was hospitalized with COVID-19 and forced to retreat from the fight. He has elaborate his betterment from the unwellness and is acceptable to instrumentality to action.

Ortega’s lone vocation decision was successful his archetypal rubric bout erstwhile helium mislaid by doc stoppage aft the 4th circular of a chaotic brawl against Max Holloway.

The fighters are presently serving arsenic opposing coaches connected “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Shevchenko, a Las Vegas resident, is connected a seven-fight triumph streak that includes 5 rubric defenses. She figures to beryllium a monolithic favourite against Murphy, who has won 5 consecutive and earned the rubric changeable with a divided determination implicit contender Joanne Calderwood of Las Vegas successful June.

Contact Adam Hill astatine ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ connected Twitter.