Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz put on a fight for the ages at UFC 263

If Nate Diaz is to be put in a cage with a bear for 5 rounds, he would still be standing at the end of 5 rounds. ‘The Stockton Slugger’ once again proved why he is one of the most entertaining fighters in the promotion.

Despite failing to get the win, Diaz stole the show due to his late surge which almost got Leon Edwards knocked out.

Having been dominated for almost the entirety of the fight, and bleeding like a sieve, Diaz randomly switched on in the final 60 seconds of the 5th round. His combo landed flush on Edwards‘ chin as the Brit became groggy.

Had the fight been for two more minutes, Diaz would have finished off the Brit. In the end, Edwards picked up a unanimous decision win scoring 49-46 on all judges’ scorecards.

Here is how MMA pros reacted to Leon’s victory and Nate’s stunning performance:

And once again Nate Diaz shows up and even after losing a fight his stock rises. That flurry is all that’ll be talked about! It’s about memories /land Diaz leaves people with memories. #ufc263

— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) June 13, 2021

Win / Lose or Draw . I’m always rockin with the Diaz brothers . Strikeforce Never Die ! 💯#UFC263

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) June 13, 2021

Different breed! All heart

— Cody Garbrandt (@Cody_Nolove) June 13, 2021

Wow @ufc

— Jeremy Stephens (@LiLHeathenMMA) June 13, 2021

😳😳😳 #UFC263

— “Wonderboy” Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) June 13, 2021

https://twitter.com/ThugnastyMMA/status/1403920856477282305

Thank you Leon and Nate. What an amazing contest 👏🏼 #UFC263

— Coach JK (@John_Kavanagh) June 13, 2021

Win or lose @NateDiaz209 gang!!!! #UFC263

— Tatiana Suarez (@tatianaufc) June 13, 2021

Wow I think Leon just lost the title shot to Colby just cause how the fight ended 🤷🏾‍♂️ #UFC263

— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) June 13, 2021

What an insane last 60sec of a fight!!! Diaz almost capitalized at the end but Edwards with a phenomenal performance and showed so much heart!

Gotta think he gets a title shot now being on a 9 fight W streak! #UFC263

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) June 13, 2021

Mannn Nate Diaz is fun to watch bet he’s fun to fight too 😎 #UFC263

— Niko Price (@Nikohybridprice) June 13, 2021

Leon Edwards picks up his ninth consecutive victory

Edwards wouldn’t have wanted his fight to end like that. He was looking so calm and composed throughout the fight before Diaz decided to exemplify his unorthodox fighting style in the final round.

However, a win is a win, and Edwards would cherish that. He is now on a nine-fight win streak and will be looking forward to fighting Kamaru Usman for the welterweight championship.

Coincidentally, his last loss was against Usman, back in December 2015. A rematch is very much on the cards, provided ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ agrees to it.

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