Nick Diaz Returns to UFC

It’s one Diaz down and another to go for the UFC.

Nick Diaz retired from his retirement on Thursday. The welterweight mixed-martial artist has been away from the octagon since his March 2013 defeat to Georges St. Pierre.

St. Pierre’s hiatus from the sport gives Diaz a new landscape at 170 upon which to compete. A rematch with Robbie Lawler, who Diaz knocked out in a stunning name-making fight more than a decade ago, suddenly looks like a marquee scrap. Matt Brown, who fights Lawler tomorrow on Fox, rising Canadian Rory MacDonald, and explosive Cuban Hector Lombard all make sense as interesting potential match ups. But the potential adversary linked most often to the returning Diaz doesn’t compete in his weight class.

“I’d be interested in fighting [Anderson Silva] and anything that’s going to do well,” Diaz told UFC.com. “As far as Anderson Silva, I think that would be a great fight for people to see because he has my type of style.” By that, the Stockton, California fighter means Silva will likely trade with him standing. Silva looks to return early next year from a vicious tibia break from Chris Weidman checking his kick late last year.

Diaz explained to the promotion’s website that a lack of pop in the former middleweight champion’s punches led to trouble in his recent fights. “I think he has a little bit more of a kickboxing style,” Diaz observed. “I think people have pointed that out to him, especially the way he lost his last couple fights. He’s working on that now, and he has a lot of work to catch up on as far as his punching. Usually with my style, people have a hard time. You have to come forward if you’re kicking and stuff. You got guys that are moving in and out, but I work hard. I don’t jump in and out. You can wind up all indecisive out there.”

Nick’s younger and lighter brother Nate remains sidelined over a money dispute with the promotion. UFC President Dana White recently insulted Diaz the Younger’s manager in a profane Twitter tirade and said that Nate doesn’t “move the needle” like his older brother does.

The enigmatic elder Diaz boasts an intense fan base despite (or because of) skipping press events, attempting to continue his fight with Joe Riggs at the hospital minus the crowd and the cameras, and giving the finger to opponents. Diaz owns signature wins over B.J. Penn, Paul Daley, Frank Shamrock, and the aforementioned Lawler.