5 sidelined UFC stars set to return better than ever

#4. Aspen Ladd - UFC women's bantamweight

In a division that has somewhat stagnated over the past few years in terms of bringing in new talent, Aspen Ladd was looking a major threat to any of the UFC women's bantamweight top contenders.

She holds a 9-1 record and has defeated established UFC veterans such as Yana Kunitskaya, Tonya Evinger, and Sijara Eubanks (twice).

However, Ladd has been out of action ever since 2019. She was scheduled to compete against Sara McMann in 2020, but just weeks before the bout was set to take place, Ladd suffered a brutal training injury that would be a huge setback to her career. She tore both her ACL and MCL, forcing her out for an extended period of time.

She is now set to return in October and will face off against Macy Chiasson. Should Ladd overcome the No.10-ranked bantamweight, she will be right back on track towards contendership and a shot at the UFC women's bantamweight title.

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#3. Nick Diaz - UFC welterweight

The return of Nick Diaz is one of the most anticipated UFC fights of the year. Stockton's finest takes on a fellow legend of the game in 'Ruthless' Robbie Lawler at UFC 266.

Nick Diaz has not competed since 2015, when he fought Anderson Silva at middleweight. Diaz initially lost the fight via the judges' decision, although it was later made a no contest on account of Silva testing positive for PED's. However, Diaz also found himself serving a suspension after testing positive for marijuana.

The suspension was initially a five-year ban for competing. It was later reduced to 18 months, which is still excessive. Rumors have consistently circled Nick Diaz since his suspension ran its course, with multiple potential opponents supposedly in the works.

It wasn't until 2021 that fans finally had an official fight announcement for the older Diaz brother. It is hard to gage how well Diaz will perform once he returns after such a long hiatus, but the hype surrounding the Diaz name alone will likely see him re-enter the rankings should he defeat Lawler.