Nick Diaz’s ex-Coach concerned by UFC fight with Vicente Luque: ‘I wouldn’t have advised him to do this’
Ahead of his slated return next month in Abu Dhabi, Nick Diaz’s former head coach, Cesar Gracie has voiced his concern for his former student ahead of his slated clash with Vicente Luque – insisting he would have advised the veteran against fighting that opponent, as well as competent overseas this late into his career.
Diaz, a former welterweight title challenger under the banner of the UFC, is slated to make his first outing inside the Octagon since taking on the retired former champion, Robbie Lawler back in 2021, dropping a third round TKO loss in the pair’s middleweight rematch.
And set to snap a three-year hiatus from the sport next month in the United Arab Emirates, it came as a surprise to fans that Diaz was booked to take on welterweight mainstay, Luque in a return to the division – with pundits and commenters alike suggesting he should take on fellow veteran, Tony Ferguson on the same card – who is also set to compete in Abu Dhabi.
Nick Diaz’s ex-coach shows concern for UFC Abu Dhabi booking
Posting some recent training footage ahead of his comeback to fighting, Nick Diaz’s former head coach in Stockton, the above-mentioned Gracie, voiced some concern for his long-time student, questioning why a pairing with Luque was booked.
“I’m not really involved in that fight,” Cesar Gracie told Submission Radio during a recent interview. “I’m gonna be perfectly honest with you, that wasn’t my idea. If I was advising Nick (Diaz), I wouldn’t have advised him to do that fight. It’s in Abu Dhabi, I wouldn’t advise to go fight overseas at this point. Especially [to fight] (Vicente) Luque – who is a very tough guy.”
“Nick is a tough guy, but it just doesn’t make that much sense to me where Nick is at in his career,” Gracie explained. “It’s not the fight I would have made, and don’t even know what’s going on with that fight, to be honest with you. It’s a toss-up what’s gonna happen. I don’t really see him training with fighters. And I don’t know what’s going on with that fight.”
Do you think Nick Diaz can beat Vicente Luque in the UAE next month?
