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UFC Urged to Pull 'Switcheroo' and Book Nick Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson in Abu Dhabi

Should the UFC call a welterweight audible this summer?

Christopher De Santiago

Sep 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Nate Diaz (red gloves) fights Tony Ferguson (blue gloves) during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Nate Diaz (red gloves) fights Tony Ferguson (blue gloves) during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Two MMA legends are in desperate need of a win at UFC Abu Dhabi.

You might imagine how the world reacted whenever it was announced that Nick Diaz and Tony Ferguson had both been booked to fight at UFC Abu Dhabi against different opponents, especially considering the two fan favorites have gone so long without returning to the win column.

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Ferguson is currently tied for the worst losing skid in UFC history at seven fights, and he can break BJ Penn's record with a loss to fellow The Ultimate Fighter winner Michael Chiesa on August 3.

Until recently, Ferguson was largely only sharing the Octagon with the best lightweights the UFC had to offer. "El Cucuy" has dropped fights to the likes of Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler, and even Nick Diaz's younger brother Nate, leading many fans to believe Nick would've been a suitable next fight for Ferguson.

The elder Diaz has dropped four fights in a row (one fight against Anderson Silva was overturned to a No Contest) with his last victory coming over BJ Penn by decision in 2011. Diaz returned to the UFC in 2021 after an unfortunate layoff that saw him sit on the sidelines for six years, largely due to a suspension for marijuana metabolites found in his system in 2015.

Diaz's comeback party was derailed by former champion Robbie Lawler in their rematch at UFC 266 when the Stockton-native quit in the third round of their five-round fight. Diaz has now been handed another stiff test against a ranked welterweight contender in Vicente Luque.

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The MMA community isn't really having it with the UFC's most recent matchmaking, with some calling for the promotion to book a bout between Diaz and Ferguson to guarantee one fighter rebounds in Abu Dhabi.

"They should pull the old switcheroo. Diaz v Ferguson. Luque v. Chiesa," UFC Bantamweight Cody Gibson reacted to the fight news.

A "switcheroo" is exactly happened when Nate Diaz was scheduled to fight Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279. Diaz ended up facing Tony Ferguson on short notice following an unexpected weight miss from Chimaev the day before the event, and Chimaev was subsequently matched up with Kevin Holland after "Trailblazer" was previously scheduled to fight Daniel Rodriguez.

The UFC matchmakers faced quite a bit of criticism for booking Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz, and there's been similar fan backlash regarding the upcoming fights for Ferguson and Nick Diaz.

"UFC is absolutely shameless in booking Diaz and Ferguson in 2024," one fan wrote of the UFC Abu Dhabi fight announcements. "I don't care what you say to the contrary. This is gross."

"tony ferguson and nick diaz fighting on the same card in the same weight class but not fighting each other," Conner Burks reacted.

"The Tony Ferguson vs Nick Diaz fight was right there..." a fan wrote. "[UFC] 279 situation please."

"One sentiment that I tend to agree with is that Nick Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson would have made more sense than their respective matchups," Sportsnet's Aaron Bronsteter chimed in.

The upcoming UFC Fight Night event in Abu Dhabi is scheduled to take place on August 3. In addition to the five-round co-main event between Diaz and Luque and the welterweight bout between Ferguson and Chiesa, the card will be headlined by top bantamweights Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov.

With Tony Ferguson and Nick Diaz both 40 years old and in a similar career boat at welterweight, was now the right time to book the UFC veterans in a fight against each other? Or do their upcoming matchups make enough sense?

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Christopher De Santiago

CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.

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