Nate Diaz to make return at UFC 263 after minor injury setback - reports

Popular American fighter will take on British-Jamaican contender Leon Edwards in a five-round, non-title fight

Nate Diaz will now make his return to the octagon at UFC 263 in June after an injury caused a minor setback. Zuffa LLC

Nate Diaz’s highly anticipated return against Leon Edwards has been pushed back to next month after the American suffered a minor, undisclosed injury.

The clash, originally set for UFC 262 on May 15 in Houston, has now been moved to UFC 263 on June 12, according to multiple news outlets on Tuesday morning. Yahoo were the first to report the rescheduling, although the UFC has yet to make an official announcement. The welterweight bout will be a five-round, non-title fight.

UFC 263 boasts an already stacked card, with middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defending his title in a rematch with Marvin Vettori, while flyweight belt-holder Deiveson Figueiredo goes up against No 1 challenger Brandon Moreno following their Fight of the Year contender in December. It will take place at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, with a full crowd in attendance.

One of the most popular fighters in the UFC, Diaz has not fought since his TKO defeat to Jorge Masvidal in November 2019. His professional MMA record stands at 20-12. Never far from headlines, Diaz's two fights against Conor McGregor in 2016 – one a win, the other a loss – remain among the top-selling pay-per-view cards in the promotion's history.

Edwards, meanwhile, sits currently as the world's No 3-ranked welterweight contender. The British-Jamaican fighter made his long-awaited return to the octagon in March, following a 20-month hiatus, but his comeback against Belal Muhammad ended in a no-contest because of an unintentional eye poke from Edwards. Edwards, whose pro record reads 18-3, was riding an eight-fight win streak, dating back to 2015.

Although UFC 262 no longer features Edwards-Diaz, it is headlined by the battle for the vacant lightweight title between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira. The belt is up for grabs following champion Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement in Abu Dhabi last October.