Leon Edwards Survives Late Onslaught To Outpoint Nate Diaz

Next up on the UFC 263 main card is a welterweight contest between Demian Maia and Belal Muhammad.

Round 1

Diaz is immediately backed up. Diaz is showing some gamesmanship and Edwards does the same. Edwards lands a couple of leg kicks. Not a lot of action two minutes in but it is tense. Diaz lands a couple of his own leg kicks. Diaz eats a big leg kick soon after though. Diaz starts to land some jabs. Diaz has some success but finds himself clinched up against the fence. Edwards drags him down and takes his back. Edwards is just holding on to Diaz as the latter lands strikes while defending. Edwards advances up and starts to land some strikes. Edwards gets up and Diaz does the same. Diaz eats a leg kick to end the first round.

Round 2

Edwards lands a big leg kick which seems to have hurt Diaz. Diaz goes for a blitz but Edwards moves out of the way. Edwards connects with a kick to the body. Diaz bends over and plays around before both fighters connect with strikes. Edwards lands a right before both fighters exchange leg kicks. Diaz seems to have connected with a left before Edwards clinches him up. Edwards trips Diaz soon after and is in the half guard of Diaz. Diaz grabs the leg and threatens with a submission but Edwards gets away and they return to striking. Edwards hurts Diaz with a big leg kick which causes a stance switch. Edwards lands a left. Both fighters start to swing. Diaz misses a left but clinches Edwards up against the fence. Edwards reverses and lands a spinning elbow as they separate.

Round 3

Edwards lands a big elbow. He catches Diaz with a big left soon after. Edwards connects with another leg kick. Edwards slips a left from Diaz and clinches up Diaz. Diaz pushes him to the fence before they separate. Edwards clinches him up again and takes his back. He’s able to get Diaz to the ground and has plenty of time to work with. Edwards lands a big elbow which has Diaz bleeding. Edwards gets up and allows Diaz to do so. Diaz eats another leg kick before he’s clinched up again. Diaz is taken down and a scramble sees Edwards take his back but he doesn’t have both hooks in. Diaz gets to his feet and just about avoids a spinning elbow from Edwards.

Round 4

Diaz lands a couple of strikes early on in the fourth but receives another leg kick from Edwards. Edwards lands a big left which Diaz even acknowledged. Edwards connects with a body kick and counters Diaz with a right soon after. Edwards trips Diaz which the latter acknowledges again. Diaz starts to mess around and dance but he clearly has no ideas on how to get this fight around. Diaz, however, checks a leg kick and lands a left as he clinches with Edwards. They separate. Edwards connects with a left. Edwards can certainly do more to finish this fight as he is clearly in control.

Round 5

Edwards trips Diaz again. Diaz clinches Edwards up against the fence but they separate soon after. Edwards lands a strong left hand but Diaz eats it. Diaz finds more success soon after as he lands a couple of strikes before they clinch up. They separate with just over two minutes remaining. Edwards lands a body kick and sees his head kick blocked afterward. Edwards connects with a big combination but Diaz eats every strike. Diaz wobbles Edwards with a left hand and Diaz starts to unload with a minute remaining! Edwards is still wobbly but continues to back away. Diaz clinches and lands some more strikes. Edwards survives.

Official result: Leon Edwards defeats Nate Diaz via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46).