Nick Diaz's return against Vicente Luque scrapped from UFC Abu Dhabi card, Shara Magomedov to save co-main event 

It appears that UFC legend Nick Diaz's much-awaited comeback is not going to happen anytime soon. Diaz's scheduled bout against Vicente Luque was postponed from the UFC Abu Dhabi card, with Shara Magomedov stepping in to save the co-main event.

The co-main event of UFC Abu Dhabi was scheduled to feature a five-round welterweight bout between Diaz and Luque. The card is slated to take place at the Etihad Arena on August 3.

Travel-related complications have forced the cancellation of Diaz's bout with Luque at UFC Abu Dhabi, though it's not clear which fighter was most impacted. The announcement was made during the UFC Vegas 94 broadcast on Saturday. The intention is to reschedule the bout between the two. However, no specific date has been set as of yet.

Following the Diaz vs. Luque cancellation, a middleweight bout between Magomedov and Michal Oleksiejczuk was revealed as the new co-main event for the card.

After a six-year break, the 40-year-old Stockton native fought former opponent Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 in September 2021. Diaz, famed for his toughness, unexpectedly dropped to the floor in the third round and refused to continue, prompting the referee to end the fight.

Even though Diaz's (26-10) last victory was a unanimous decision win over B.J. Penn at UFC 137 in October 2011, more than ten years have gone by, and he still has a sizable fan base.

Meanwhile, Luque suffered a second-round stoppage loss to Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlantic City earlier this year. 'The Silent Assassin' is facing a trough stretch in his career, having won only two of his last five fights. He currently holds a professional record of 22-10-1.