Nate Diaz Beats Anthony Pettis, Paulo Costa Outlasts Yoel Romero

Nate Diaz was back in the ring after almost three years of absence. And he came back with a victory against the former champion Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision by the referees.

In UFC 241 co-main event of the night, Diaz won by forcing Pettis to a get into a close, hard and dirty fight which isn’t his favorite area. On the other hand, it is a perfect situation for Diaz, who likes to have clinches and close battles. Eventually, the judges scored like this, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, all for Diaz.

Diaz (19-11 MMA, 14-9 UFC) immediately started pressuring his rival and was trying to avoid fighting from a distance. Clinches and pushing to the fence was he wanted, with occasional attempts for a takedown.

During the second round, Diaz was even more aggressive, and though he did receive one heavy right hand, he continued to go forward. He increased the rhythm and started to send elbows to Pettis’ body, which began to slow down the 32-year old. In the final part of the battle, Pettis finished on the ground after a few knee punches, and for a minute he was in a difficult position, as Diaz tried to choke him.

"Jorge Masvidal had a good last fight."

"I know my man's a gangster but he ain't no West Coast gangster!"

Nate Diaz returns with a win at #UFC241 and sets up the fans' dream fight 😍@gamebredfighter loves it! Let's go! pic.twitter.com/BVc5JpT3ST

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) August 18, 2019

But he didn’t succeed, and suddenly it was Pettis in a better position, which he couldn’t use. For a moment there, everything changed, and we could have seen a massive surprise. Eventually, Dizas got away, and the battle ended.

Following the match, he stated that he wants to fight only one man – Jorge Masvidal.

“The reason I was off is because everybody sucked, and there was nobody to fight,” Diaz said. “With this belt, I want to defend it against … Jorge Masvidal had a good last fight.”

In the Fight of the Night, the young lion and the undefeated fighter Paulo Costa managed to beat the veteran, Yoel Romero. It was a beauty to watch, and there was no doubt that in the end, this will be the fight of the entire event.

Costa (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), won on a unanimous decision, with the scoreboards showing 29-28 in Costa’s favor. This victory has made him the biggest contender for the 185 pounds title. There weren’t any tactics in this one. Right from the start, both guys began trading huge punches, setting the crowd on fire. In a period of several seconds, we saw both Costa and Romero on the ground, during those ferocious exchanges.

The second round continued in the same manner, without any stop by either of the fighters. Younger Costa was more offensive-minded, but Romero managed to defend himself very well, and even make one takedown. There weren’t any changes in the third. The fight just kept on going in the usual rhythm.

https://twitter.com/OnMMA/status/1162932063173074944

It is why the crowd passionately greeted both fighters after the match, The tight contest went into Costa’s favor, but to be honest, even if it ended with a draw, it wouldn’t be unfair.

“Romero is a beast, the toughest guy in the division, after me now,” Costa said. “Everyone knows that I am the toughest guy in the division now. I trained for every part of the fight: ground, cage, stand up, clinch.”

Costa is aiming the fight for the title up next. Romero had his chance against Robert Whittaker but lost. This match was his first one which ended with a decision, as he neer ever reached the third round before.