Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler II was worth the wait.
After 17 years, Lawler scored retribution for a knockout loss in both fighters’ youth with a third-round TKO victory over Diaz on Saturday during UFC 266 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“I’ve always had respect for Diaz,” Lawler said in the octagon after their scheduled five-round middleweight bout. “He brings it every freaking time.”
Now in their late 30s and years removed from their championship days — Lawler previously reigned over the UFC welterweight division and Diaz was the longtime Strikeforce champ at 170 pounds — the two men set a torrid pace to start the fight. Diaz took a few minutes to settle into his typical high-volume boxing attack, while Lawler pressed forward throwing plenty of power punches in return.
Noticeably slower than his last outing in 2015, Diaz still managed to keep the fight close before Lawler began to build steam in the latter half of the second round. That momentum carried over into the third, as Lawler knocked down Diaz to his knee with a short right.
Lawler beckoned him to stand and, as he walked away, a lucid Diaz briefly clutched his knee and could not get back to his feet, forcing the referee to waive it off 44 seconds into the third frame.
Immediately after, Lawler walked back over to a downed Diaz to offer respect for the man who sent him face-planting into the canvas when they were in their early 20s.