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#2. Diaz vs. Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson
Another possible opponent for Nick Diaz, if he decides to fight again in 2022, would be Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. ‘Wonderboy’ is currently coming off back-to-back unanimous decision losses to Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad. He went into his fight with Muhammad as the fifth-ranked welterweight, so his ranking is expected to drop after the loss.
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Thompson could have his sights set on a lucrative bout with Diaz, given the back-to-back losses. This was the second time in two years that 'Wonderboy' has lost consecutive fights.
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Thompson, however, has defeated many notable fighters in his career. This includes Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald and Robert Whittaker.
'Wonderboy' and Diaz have competed against grapplers in the past, so it'd be refreshing to see the two strikers go at it. It’d be interesting to see whether Diaz would be able to get in Thompson’s head or if Thompson could frustrate Diaz. With that said, a potential Diaz vs. Thompson fight could be very appealing for fans in 2022.
#1. Diaz vs. Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone
Topping this list of opponents for Diaz, if he chooses to compete again in 2022, is Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone. Throughout his career, Cerrone has been a true company guy for the UFC. He has stepped in on short notice multiple times in his UFC career.
Cerrone has also been one of the most active fighters in the UFC by competing 3-4 times each year. 2021 was different as he only fought once, which was a TKO loss to Alex Morono. Although Cerrone hasn’t won a fight since 2019, his 23 wins in the octagon are the most in UFC history. Cerrone is also tied with current UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for most post-fight bonuses in UFC history.
With both Diaz and ‘Cowboy’ being on losing streaks, a bout between the two would make sense. If Cerrone ends up having one more fight in the UFC, taking on a big name like Diaz could be added motivation.
