Edwards beats Diaz after surviving late scare at UFC 263

Nate Diaz's return to the Octagon didn't go as planned.

Leon Edwards defeated Diaz via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) in a welterweight bout at UFC 263 on Saturday night at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Diaz rocked Edwards in the fifth round and nearly pulled off a massive comeback, but the latter survived the late blows and was the clear winner on the scorecards.

Edwards picked apart Diaz while standing up throughout the 25-minute contest, landing crisp punches and devastating leg kicks. Diaz suffered cuts on his head and face. Edwards tagged his opponent in the fourth and fifth rounds, but Diaz's legendary chin held up once again.

It was the first five-round bout in UFC history that was neither a title fight nor a main event.

With the victory, Edwards returned to the win column after his March clash against Belal Muhammad was ruled a no-contest. The Brit extended his unbeaten streak to 10. He hasn't lost since his 2015 meeting with current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Diaz returned to the cage for the first time since his BMF title fight against Jorge Masvidal in November 2019. He's now 1-3 over his past four outings, which includes a win over Anthony Pettis and a loss to Conor McGregor.