"That's what he's struggled with throughout his career" - Dan Hardy analyzes Nick Diaz's biggest pressure point before comeback fight against Robbie Lawler

Ahead of Nick Diaz's comeback fight against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266, Dan Hardy broke down the one thing he believes was never Nick Diaz's strong suit.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Dan Hardy said:

"People have high expectations for him [Nick Diaz]. I think that brings a lot of pressure with it. I think, Nick, well, he's never going to show that kind of pressure, but, in my opinion, that's what he's really struggled with throughout his career. It's not stepping onto the big stages and fighting the best guys in the world. It's the pressure of being in the limelight."

Dan Hardy then addressed the element of "partying." Much of the skepticism towards Nick Diaz's return stems from his socially-shared party posts.

Both Nick and Nate Diaz are cannabis promoters and users. Much of Nick Diaz's personality in the MMA community is built around his antics and one-liners. Dan Hardy believes these are things Nick Diaz uses as coping mechanisms to handle the limelight.

Hardy then recalled when Diaz failed to show up for a media event leading up to his fight with Georges St-Pierre. Nick Diaz waved off his actions as simply not wanting to attend something that didn't interest him. But Dan Hardy believes that things like media events make Nick Diaz uncomfortable, which is why he didn't show up.

Catch Dan Hard's appearance on Submission Radio below:

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Dan Hardy expects a mature Nick Diaz to show up against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266

Speaking about how he expects Nick Diaz to show changes on his return, Dan Hardy said:

"I think this version of Nick Diaz is going to be very different. I think he's matured now, I think he is a lot more aware of himself as a martial artist. Even if he's not really been in the gym and he's just been kind of floating around and partying and stuff, I still expect his mind to be ticking on martial arts all the time."

It is worth noting that Nick Diaz, over the years, has certainly maintained his fitness. Whether he practiced MMA religiously throughout his absence from the sport is unknown, but he did take to becoming a triathlete. That, in itself, is an extremely rigorous activity and shows Nick Diaz's amazing fitness levels.