Leon Edwards vs. Nate Diaz 2? Not if Edwards’ coach has anything to say about it.
As Dave Lovell prepares Edwards for his third defense of the welterweight title in this Saturday’s UFC 304 main event, he took the time to talk to Submission Radio about Diaz recently calling Edwards out for a rematch inside the octagon.
Diaz recently earned a close split-decision win in a boxing match against fellow MMA star Jorge Masvidal, and afterwards, the free agent suggested he may return to the UFC with a shot at welterweight gold in his sights. Edwards defeated Diaz by unanimous decision at UFC 263 in June 2021, dominating Diaz for most of the fight before being badly wobbled by a Diaz combination in Round 5.
Lovell firmly shot down Diaz’s callout and suggested that Diaz focus on wrapping up his fighting career instead.
“It’s all a joke,” Lovell said (transcription via Denis Shkuratov). “Leon ain’t got time for that Mickey Mouse business right now. Fair play to him that Nate is making money still and he’s still fighting, but me, personally, I think he needs to leave the game alone.
“He’s taken a little bit too much punishment now. I know it was only boxing with Jorge, but it’s still taking its toll on him, you know? Remember, this guy’s got life after fighting and if he carries on the way he is, he’s not going to have much of a life. I love him and he’s a great guy, but sometimes fighters need to be saved from themselves. I think Nate is one of those cases.”
It’s no secret as to why the 39-year-old Diaz continues to fight, with he and Masvidal both cashing seven-figure checks for the July 6 boxing bout (though Diaz is currently suing promoter Fanmio, claiming he’s still owed another $9 million). A UFC return would undoubtedly be lucrative for Diaz, as well.
As long as the money keeps rolling in, Lovell doesn’t see Diaz retiring anytime soon.
“Money talks,” Lovell said. “Obviously, they’re getting purses that they cannot refuse. It keeps them still ticking, doesn’t it? For those that haven’t made use of their money through their career and maybe have to hang onto this to rely to make some decent change to maybe put down for the future, maybe that’s the only thing I see them doing it for. It’s solely just a money-based thing.
“Their best fighting days are behind them, the world knows this, Jorge’s and Nate’s. This is just some moneymaking scheme for them to keep rolling and earning a living, basically.”
On the topic of retirement, Lovell also touched upon how the middleweight landscape could look in the future should the time come for Edwards to move up to the 185-pound division. Though Edwards still has several notable up-and-coming welterweight contenders to worry about, he has spoken in the past about someday becoming a two-division champion.
If the time comes that Edwards vies for the middleweight title, Lovell hopes that Edwards’ friend Israel Adesanya isn’t the one holding the title and that Adesanya can step away from fighting on his own terms.
“I don’t think Israel, because in all fairness, I love him, again, and Israel is my brother, but I think he’s coming to sort of like the twilight of his career now,” Lovell said. “And if I was him, if he fights Dricus [du Plessis], maybe win the title, defend it once, or even just win that title and retire because he’s earned enough. He’s got nothing more to prove.
“I wouldn’t like to see Leon fight Israel because we’re all close that way, we’re all friends, so I wouldn’t like to see that.”
