Nate Diaz to make UFC return against Leon Edwards in historic five-round fight

Nate Diaz is set to make his return to the UFC on May 15th, in the co-main event of UFC 262. The Stockton fan-favorite will be fighting Leon Edwards upon his return to the octagon.

According to an initial report from Ariel Helwani of ESPN, Nate Diaz will face 'Rocky' in what will be the former's first fight since UFC 244 in 2019. The fight will reportedly be a five-round co-main event, the very first in UFC history.

Here is the report from Ariel Helwani on Twitter:

Nathan Diaz vs. Leon Edwards is set for UFC 262 on May 15 in Houston, per sources.And, in a twist, the fight will be the first five-round non-title co-main event in UFC history.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 31, 2021

While an official announcement is yet to be made by the UFC, it didn't take Nate Diaz long to fire shots at his opponents after the news was made public. Diaz took to social media to claim that he will be "headlining" UFC 262 in Houston, Texas.

Diaz also added that UFC 262 will witness Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira fighting for his old lightweight crown. The self-proclaimed 'West Coast Gangster' has seemingly confirmed that he will be fighting on the UFC 262 card after all.

Check me out may 15th I’ll be headlining #ufc262 in Houston Texas I’ll also have the new UFC lightweight title fight on the card I need people to know these guys are they’ve been working very hard and I can’t wait to see who gets my old 👑 I’ll see uguys there 👊🏼

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) March 31, 2021

Nate Diaz hasn't been active in the UFC since 2019

Nate Diaz's last fight in the UFC was in 2019 against Jorge Masvidal. The former was unsuccessful in his attempt to win the BMF Championship but has been competing in the welterweight division for a while now.

Before his controversial loss to 'Gamebred', Nate Diaz was victorious over Anthony Pettis in a three-round fight. While Diaz is no stranger to competing in the lightweight division, he has confirmed that he will be focusing on welterweight moving forward.

Meanwhile, Nate Diaz's scheduled opponent Leon Edwards is on the back of a very controversial fight against Belal Muhammad. In a recent five-round main event between the two, 'Rocky' accidentally eye-poked Muhammad, which led to a No Contest.

The fight was Edwards's first bout since 2019 but his return didn't turn out the way he expected it to be. That being said though, UFC 262 will mark a quick turnaround for the #3 ranked UFC welterweight, who could guarantee a title shot with a win over Nate Diaz.