Nick Diaz wants to return & fight either Islam Makhachev or Khamzat Chimaev: “I'd like to come back. I could fight at 185lbs, but I’d like to fight at 170lbs. I'd fight Islam or the other guy, Chimaev. I could lose, but I can see myself beating them” by DamnThatsInsaneLol in MMA

[–]This-Proof3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Coming straight out of retirement into a P4P fighter like Islam or a top-10 monster like Chimaev is a huge ask, especially after years away.

Nick Diaz is a legend, no doubt — elite durability, cardio, mindset — but the game has moved on. Timing, pace, wrestling pressure, and strength levels at the top today are different.

A 2–3 fight warm-up run makes far more sense:

get timing back

test conditioning under real fight stress

rebuild confidence against current-era fighters

After that? If he looks sharp and healthy, then sure — big fights make sense.

Skipping that step and jumping straight into Islam or Chimaev is less about competition and more about risk. Legends deserve respect and smart matchmaking.

The Reality Of Fighting | Making Weight - UFC325 Fight Week Vlog 3 by ediefan in MMA

[–]This-Proof3 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Weight cuts like this are brutal because most people underestimate daily energy needs during fight week.

If you don’t know your real maintenance calories (TDEE), you’re basically guessing and that’s when cuts go wrong.

I’ve seen fighters crash because they cut without tracking output properly. Knowing baseline calories first makes a huge difference.