UFC 266: Robbie Lawler Addresses Weight Class Change for Diaz Fight, Expects to be “A Little Light”

Las Vegas, NV — There’s no fight week quite like a Nick Diaz fight week, and for the second time in his career, Robbie Lawler is along for the ride.

It’s been over fifteen years since the pair first fought. Lawler lost that 2004 meeting at UFC 47, where Diaz knocked him out. The rematch has been hotly anticipated, even with Lawler on a four-fight skid, and Diaz not having fought since 2015.

Still, it wouldn’t be a Diaz fight week without some sort of hiccup, and it came Tuesday, with reports making the rounds that the fight had been moved from welterweight to middleweight. At the behest of the Diaz camp, it was later learned.

Lawler (28-15, 1NC) is taking it all in stride. “I’m ready to go, that’s all that matters. Camp went well. Controlling the things I can control,” he told media outlets including Cageside Press during Wednesday’s UFC 266 media day.

During a media scrum following Tuesday’s Contender Series broadcast, Dana White told reporters that Lawler had wanted to talk to him about the weight change.

“We had a short conversation,” Lawler revealed Wednesday, without getting into specifics. He also stayed mum on whether he’d asked for any concessions from the promotion in exchange for the weight move. “It is what it is. I’m ready to fight. We’re moving forward.”

Lawler couldn’t given a solid number when asked what he’d weigh in at on Friday. “Obviously I’m a little light, but I’m strong. I’m fast. I’m ready to fight.”

As to how he intends to handle the 15lb increase, “I’m just going to eat, and just try to feel comfortable,” he explained. “When you’re doing this, when you’re thinking you’re going down to 70, you’re cutting things out of your body. You don’t want to necessarily put those back in; you don’t know how they’re going to effect you. So it’s eating more of good foods, which is hard, because they’re going to fill me up, but I don’t know how heavy it’ll make me.”

Beyond that, Lawler said he intends to “play it by ear. My body feels good, I feel strong, so that’s most important.”

As for Diaz, and whether it changes how he looks at his opponent, Lawler said simply that “He comes to fight. He’s going through whatever he’s going through. It is what it is. Just show up and fight, that’s kind of the approach I’m taking.”

Watch the full UFC 266 media day appearance from Robbie Lawler above. More coverage from the event can be found below.