KEY POINTS

  • Georges St-Pierre wants to see Nick Diaz make the most out of his UFC return
  • St-Pierre hopes that Diaz would compete for the UFC title once again
  • UFC president Dana White commented on the returning fighter's case for a title shot

For Georges St-Pierre, Nick Diaz’s UFC return could open doors for a big opportunity.

Diaz is ending his six-year MMA hiatus by taking on former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. As expected, many are looking forward to another entertaining fight courtesy of crowd-favorite Diaz. However, UFC legend St-Pierre is hoping for something bigger.

According to St-Pierre, this is a great opportunity for Diaz, and he should make the most out of it. Though a bit far-fetched, GSP is backing his former UFC rival to make a run for the title one again.

“That’s a big X-factor,” St-Pierre told MMAFighting of Diaz’s UFC return. “Would he come back as good as he was, or [would] this layoff have a negative impact on him? I don’t know. I just hope that he will come back as good as he [was] because I’m afraid that he left a lot of money on the table, and I hope I’m wrong, and I hope he comes back even better than he was and he goes for a shot for the title.”

“I’m a huge fan,” he added. “I really enjoy watching him fight.”

Nick Diaz
Nick Diaz is set to make his long-awaited return to the octagon. In this picture, Diaz stands in the Octagon after taking a hit from Anderson Silva in a middleweight bout against Anderson Silva during UFC 183 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jan. 31, 2015. Steve Marcus/Getty Images

In recent times, the UFC has not handed a fighter who hasn’t competed for a long time an instant shot at the title, especially if his last fight with the promotion was a non-title one. This has been the case for Diaz.

Undeniably, the hype of Diaz’s return has got fans thinking that he could possibly catapult his name back to title contention. However, UFC president Dana White thinks it’s absurd.

According to White, only “an idiot” would think that Diaz deserves a shot at the current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who has been actively dominating his division.

“You think he [Diaz] should be fighting Kamaru Usman? You know what I’ve been saying lately? Kamaru Usman is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, OK? [He beat Jorge] Masvidal twice, Gilbert Burns, Tyron Woodley, [Rafael dos Anjos], Demian Maia, Leon Edwards. I mean, the list of guys that this guy has beaten is unbelievable, and the way that he beat them,” White told Yahoo Sports.

“He’s the world champion in that division, and he’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world,” he pointed out. “Does anybody out there think that that’s who Nick Diaz should come back and fight after not fighting for seven years? That would be an idiot that would make that fight.”

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