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Nick Diaz vs Robbie Lawler 2 faces changes at UFC 266

Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler makes some adjustments prior to their fight at UFC 266.

Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler will not compete in a Welterweight bout at UFC 266; instead, the two mixed martial arts (MMA) legends will rematch in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight division.

Diaz vs. Lawler serves as a marquee fight on the pay-per-view (PPV) main card of UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega,” which will take place this weekend (Sat., Sept. 25, 2021) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, streaming online via ESPN+. While the bout was originally scheduled to be contested at 170 pounds, Ariel Helewani reports the fight has been reorganized at 185 pounds.

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“A specific reason for the late change wasn’t revealed. The fight will remain a five-round non-title fight, per sources,” Helwani wrote. “Both fighters have a history of fighting at 170 and 185, and both have expressed a desire to cut less weight these days.”

Diaz and Lawler will run things back 17 years after their first fight. The Stockton native won their first fight via knockout at 1:31 of round two (watch full fight here), improving to 9-2 as a professional MMA fighter. Lawler dropped to 8-2 as a result of the outcome; however, both men were destined for greater things.


Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 266 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPNEWS/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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