LFA Middleweight Champion Ozzy Diaz Ready to Make Leap to UFC

Ozzy Diaz's meteoric rise through the MMA ranks has landed him on the brink of a UFC contract.

Following his first round knockout win over Bruno Assis at LFA 127 that won him the Middleweight belt, Diaz has earned a Dana White Contenders Series match in the near future, likely this summer.

Diaz joined Iain MacMillan, Reed Wallach and Amy Kaplan on Wednesday's Jab, Cross, Hook to talk about his title victory, his preparation for the UFC and more!

Diaz told the Jab, Cross, Hook crew that he is expecting a fight in the middle of the summer on DWCS, but that there is still room for him to grow as a fighter. He has 8 professional MMA bouts to his name and said his biggest area for improvement is overall technique, but that he finds his biggest strength in his striking. Diaz had three knockdowns in his title win over Assis last weekend.

While he may not have a lengthy career in the MMA circuit, Diaz is confident in his growing skills that can carry him into the UFC. To him, there's no difference where he is fighting or when, he treats them all the same.

"It's just another fight," Diaz said on Wednesday night.

"I am aware of the stakes and where it's going to be. This fight could've been in an alley it doesn't matter I'm going to treat it the same way. It's another hard fight, I'm going to be well prepared, well trained, it's on, it's go time now."

We may not know Diaz's next opponent just yet, but with a budding career and a skillset that seems to be growing with each fight, he is an emerging star at middleweight and a prospect to keep an eye on when he breaks through.