It was over 17 years ago when two fresh-faced welterweight stepped into the octagon to compete at UFC 47. Those two men, both in their early 20s, were Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler. On Saturday, the 38-year-old Diaz faces the 39-year-old Lawler in a middleweight rematch. The two compete on the pay-per-view portion of the UFC 266 fight card.
That first fight defined neither man, but it was a good representation of what fans would come to appreciate about these two.
Heading into the scrap, the UFC sold the grappling skills of Diaz, but also mentioned his growth as a striker.