UFC 263: Pros react to Leon Edwards defeating Nate Diaz despite near last-minute disaster

Pros react to the first five-round, non-title, non-main event fight, featuring Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz at UFC 263

Nate Diaz played his mind games, and he rocked Leon Edwards hard in the bout’s final minute, but Edwards came away with a one-sided decision in the UFC‘s first-ever, non-title, non-main event bout set for five rounds at UFC 263.

Edwards competed in March, going to a no-contest in a short-notice main event with Belal Muhammad after missing all of 2020. Prior to that, Edwards was on an eight-fight win streak, which included wins over Rafael dos Anjos, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Bryan Barberena.

After a three-year layoff following his pair of 2016 fights with Conor McGregor, Diaz returned at UFC 241, defeating Anthony Pettis. He then fought Jorge Masvidal in the “BMF” title fight at UFC 244, losing via doctor’s stoppage after three rounds.

Fellow fighters react to Leon Edwards outworking Nate Diaz, despite final-minute upset scare, at UFC 263

Diaz played his mind games throughout the fight as he tried to take Edwards by surprise, but Edwards striking was more on point throughout the fight — especially in the leg kick department. Edwards also showed expert grappling early on, scoring at least three takedowns in the fights first two rounds.

Edwards got the fight to the ground again in the third and busted Diaz open all over his face. Unlike UFC 244, however, Diaz didn’t get stopped by a doctor and ventured on.

In the fifth, Diaz rocked Edwards badly with a left hand. But while Edwards stumbled around the cage, he survived the final round and took the win.

See how fellow fighters reacted to Edwards picking up the win, as well as Diaz’s last-minute scare.

UFC 263 takes place on Saturday, June 12, 2021, live from the Gila River Arena in Glendale, AZ. Follow along with FanSided who is on-site all week for all your live news and highlights.