ANAHEIM, Calif. – Nate Diaz made a triumphant return Saturday when he came back from a layoff of nearly three years to put a beating on Anthony Pettis in the UFC 241 co-main event.
Diaz (20-11 MMA, 15-9 UFC), who is among the most popular fighters in the sport and now officially a “needle-mover” in UFC president Dana White’s eyes, looked as if he hadn’t missed a beat when he put it on Pettis (22-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) for three rounds to take a unanimous decision and get his hand raised for the first time since March 2016.
With the win, Diaz immediately becomes a major factor in the welterweight division, and he set his sights on a showdown with Jorge Masvidal (34-13 MMA, 11-6 UFC) when he issued a post-fight callout to “Gamebred.”
Is that the best next fight option for Diaz, though? And where does a potential trilogy with Conor McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) play into the whole scenario? MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, Dave Doyle and Mike Bohn debate in the aftermath of UFC 241.
