Nate Diaz Lauds Former Opponent Leon Edwards, Hopes He Remains UFC Champion

Nate Diaz had some kind things to say about Leon Edwards after being asked if he'd ever return to the UFC.

Nate Diaz recently expressed his respect for Leon Edwards, and he hopes the current UFC welterweight champion can hang on to his title for a long time.

MMA Junkie spoke to the 38-year-old following a press conference in Texas promoting the Paul fight, and Diaz was asked if there was any part of him that might like to square off with Edwards again:

“I don’t think I’m over him either, too,” Diaz said. “He’s great. He’s a great fighter also, and it’d be cool if he hung on to (the UFC title) for a while and he deserves it. Trains hard and works hard.”

The two men previously met in the Octagon at UFC 263, which turned out to be Diaz’s penultimate fight in the UFC and perhaps his MMA career. Edwards won a comfortable unanimous decision in the five-round affair on the UFC 263 main card, although for many fans the enduring memory of that fight was the fact that Diaz managed to rock the future champion late in the bout.

READ MORE: Jake Paul Employee Calls Out Nate Diaz's Brother, Instantly Regrets It (Video)

Diaz and Edwards met on the main card of UFC 263. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

Following the win over Diaz, “Rocky” went on to challenge Kamaru Usman for the UFC’s welterweight title at UFC 278. The 31-year-old looked well on his way to dropping a decision in that fight before stunning Usman with a head kick in the final minute, and Edwards solidified his place as champion by earning a majority decision in their rematch at UFC 286.

Diaz finished his contract with the UFC by submitting Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 279, and now the former UFC title challenger is set to test himself in the boxing ring against Jake Paul. 

READ MORE: Texas Commission Will Test Nate Diaz For Marijuana Use Ahead of Jake Paul Fight 

Paul and Diaz are scheduled to meet in the boxing ring on August 5 in Dallas, and the recent press conference already provided a few interesting interactions ahead of the fight. In addition to one of Paul’s employees calling out Nate’s brother Nick before later apologizing, the news that the Texas Athletic Commission doesn’t tolerate marijuana use appeared to be a catch Diaz off guard. 

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