“I Don’t Think I’m Over Him”: Nate Diaz Opens Up on “Great Fighter” Leon Edwards as Ex-UFC Star Prepares for Jake Paul Fight

Nate Diaz is famous among the MMA community for his carefree attitude, which often ends up with him in trouble. It is very unlikely for him to praise his former rival. Nonetheless, to the surprise of the UFC world, Diaz recently praised his UFC 263 opponent, Leon Edwards. The 38-year-old said that ‘Rocky’ is a “great fighter”. Diaz and Edwards locked horns at UFC 263 on June 12, 2021. After the back-and-forth battle, it was Edwards who won the bout via unanimous decision.

At the moment, a lot of things are going on in the personal and professional lives of the Stockton native. He is all set for his boxing debut against Jake Paul on August 5. Even though Diaz has plenty going on, he made sure that he took a few moments to appreciate the success of Edwards, who currently reigns as the welterweight champion.

Nate Diaz praises the UFC welterweight champion, Leon Edwards

Nate Diaz was sitting with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn. During the interview, the 38-year-old talked a lot about both boxing and MMA. In between the conversations, Diaz spoke a few great words about Leon Edwards He said, “I don’t think I’m over him either, too. He’s a great fighter, too.”

He added, “It’d be cool if he hung onto it [the UFC welterweight title] for a while and he deserves it. He trains hard, and he works hard.” Even after losing against ‘Rocky’ at UFC 263, Diaz appreciated the determination and hard work of Edwards, which took him to where he is today.

The former UFC star also wished that the British fighter should remain the welterweight champion for a longer period. Diaz is someone who has now chosen to be a free agent after parting ways with the world’s biggest MMA promotion. However, he still hopes to get back to the UFC to win a title shot and own a belt.

What’s next for ‘Rocky’?

At the moment, Leon Edwards is at the peak of his fighting career. The British fighter won his first title shot against the then-welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. ‘Rocky’ and ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ once again squared off at UFC 286. After a neck-to-neck battle, Edwards retained his belt from Usman via decision.

READ MORE: Leon Edwards Hits Back at Fighters Aiming at Welterweight Gold – “ Guys Win One Fight Now and Think They Should Get a Title Shot”

Now, as per the decision of the UFC president, Dana White, Edwards will face Colby Covington next. However, the date and venue of Edward’s next title defense have not been announced yet.

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