There were nary miracles successful Nick Diaz's instrumentality to the Octagon, with the UFC instrumentality favourite refusing to proceed successful the 3rd circular against Robbie Lawler.
The combat was billed arsenic 2 legends squaring off, with Lawler looking to get revenge for his nonaccomplishment to Diaz erstwhile some men were successful their prime.
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Diaz, 38, said helium didn't privation to combat astatine UFC 266 successful the pb up, and successful the extremity helium refused to get up erstwhile helium was dropped.
Diaz hadn't competed nether the UFC banner since a combat with Anderson Silva astir 7 years agone and it showed.
After an aboriginal speech of punches successful the 3rd round, Lawler connected to the caput which had Diaz connected 1 genu earlier helium was forced onto his back.
Diaz past invited Lawler to conscionable him connected the canvas. Lawler refused and told him to get to his feet, but Diaz declined, adjacent aft referee urged him to. The referee was past forced to waive the combat disconnected declaring Lawler the victor by TKO.
By the end, Diaz's chemoreceptor appeared to beryllium broken, with humor gushing down his face.
"I don't person nary excuses. You cognize I had a agelong clip disconnected and I knew I had it coming. I don't cognize however this combat got acceptable up," Diaz said.
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"I had a power up successful my absorption and the mode the combat got acceptable up was a bum rap. I had it coming helium was successful large shape. I cognize I was leakin' I didn't privation to marque excessively overmuch of a mess."
In an interrogation with ESPN connected combat week, Diaz admitted helium truly didn't privation to combat and that helium tried to get distant from warring implicit the past six years, but was pulled backmost due to the fact that that's the lone happening helium tin bash for himself.
When asked if determination was thing astir the comeback helium could enjoy, helium instantly responded, "No. Nothing."
"I don't cognize wherefore I'm doing this. ... This should not happen. Whoever acceptable this up is an idiot. I don't cognize wherefore I'm doing this. I don't cognize wherefore this happened," Diaz said.
"All the radical astir maine and each the wealth and the sponsors, they won't fto maine get distant from fighting.
"There's things I could do, but that's not gonna enactment out. I mightiness arsenic good conscionable spell and instrumentality my punches. ... I don't privation to look backmost and say, 'Why did I not conscionable bash it?' I don't consciousness great. I consciousness large to fight. I don't consciousness large astir everything [else]. If I don't bash this, I don't cognize however I'm going to consciousness astir myself."