Report: Nate Diaz to make return vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 230
Nate Diaz will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon for a lightweight bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 230, according to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.
The superstar matchup, which will reportedly serve as the co-main event of the Nov. 3 card at Madison Square Garden, will be Diaz's first fight since losing the second of his two bouts against Conor McGregor at UFC 202 in August 2016.
Diaz had gotten the best of McGregor in their first matchup at UFC 196, winning by way of a rear-naked choke submission late in the second round, before dropping his career mark to 19-11 in the rematch the following summer.
The 33-year-old Diaz will be put to the test after more than two years on the sidelines, as Poirier enters the matchup riding high off three consecutive TKO victories. After stopping Anthony Pettis and Justin Gaethje, Poirier pushed his career record to 24-5-1 with a second-round defeat of Eddie Alvarez at a UFC Fight Night event in Calgary, Alberta on July 28.
The Diaz-Poirier tilt is expected to be made official at a press conference held Friday, according to Pugmire's report.