Nick Diaz vs Robbie Lawler Prediction: A Rematch 17 Years in the Making

On a card that features two title fights, the most anticipated bout of the night has no gold up for grabs.

Nick Diaz, the polarizing figure and mixed martial arts legend, will step into the octagon for the first time since 2015 to take on Robbie Lawler.

For new fans of the sport, you may not realize that this fight is actually a rematch. The two faced each other all the way back in 2004 in a fight that many would point to as being the one that introduced Diaz to the MMA world.

The fight took place at UFC 47, and the unassuming Diaz threw an onslaught of punches at Lawler and eventually knocked him out in the second round. The fight was so long ago, and the sport was still such an underground phenomenon, that there is no public record of what the odds were for their first fight.

Diaz vs Lawler Odds and Pick

In tonight’s rematch, WynnBET has Lawler set as a -160 (bet $160 to profit $100) favorite over Diaz, who will enter the octagon as a +135 (bet $100 to profit $135) underdog.

In a rare move by the UFC, this fight will be set for five rounds, which is usually reserved for title fights. WynnBET has the over/under for rounds set at 3.5, with the over favored at -160 and the under set at +135. That means if the fight last longer than the 2:30 mark of the fourth round, the over would be graded as a winner.

In our UFC best bets article, I wrote about why I’ll be backing Lawler at -160.

Diaz, in his usual cryptic self, seems unmotivated for the bout and has recently asked for it to be moved up to the middleweight class so he can avoid the process of cutting weight. 

Diaz has always had a love/hate relationship with competing in mixed martial arts, so all of the red flags could be for naught and he may put on one of the best performances of his career.

The showdown will be the third fight on tonight’s UFC 266 main card that is set to begin at 10 p.m. EST.

Head over to WynnBET to make your picks for tonight's UFC 266 card.