The UFC marks its annual trip to Abu Dhabi later this year with a card that features the likes of Umar Nurmagomedov, Marlon Vera, Tony Fergusson, and the highly anticipated return of Nick Diaz. The elder Diaz brother returns to competition after his fight with Robbie Lawler at UFC 266. Ahead of his upcoming fight, a former UFC veteran has a strong message for Nick Diaz regarding his time in Abu Dhabi.
Ben Askren recently joined Daniel Cormier on the latest episode of the latter’s YouTube podcast. During the episode, the conversation turned to Nick Diaz and Abu Dhabi when Askren brought up a good point, stating,
“It’s in Saudi? Did someone tell Diaz that they do not allow weed there? For real cause weed is usually a non negotiable for Nick Diaz and weed for Abu Dhabi is also non-negotiable. Those two things are not going to go well.”
Both the Diaz brothers consume marijuana in huge quantities. They are also often seen smoking marijuana leading up to fight week.
However, as Askren mentioned, the consumption, sale, and growth of marijuana is strictly prohibited in Abu Dhabi. Moreover, if a person is caught with the drug, he will be sentenced to a minimum of three months in prison and later deported.
Therefore, it is safe to say that Nick Diaz will need to be careful once he steps foot in the city, as the same rules might also apply to CBD-related products.
In the meantime, fans are quite curious to know more about the competition that awaits Diaz at the UAE.
A Closer Look at Vicente Luque vs Nick Diaz
Nick Diaz ended a six-year absence from the sport by stepping into the octagon with Robbie Lawler in September 2021. His last fight before that was in January 2015.
Unfortunately, Diaz put on a horrible performance against Lawler and was urged by many to retire from the sport. However, three years on from that fight, Diaz is back for more, and his next opponent is Vincente Luque, who has lost three of his last four fights.
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However, Luque is extremely dangerous and can finish a fight with a single punch, a characteristic that Diaz does not have. In addition to this Luque has been competing regularly and will not have any ring rust, unlike Diaz who has been out of competition for a while now.
Regardless, UFC fans will be hoping that Diaz presents a better version of himself than he did against Robbie Lawler.
