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Nick Diaz plans to fight in 2022, wants title shot vs. Usman

Chris Unger / UFC / Getty

For Nick Diaz, it's go big or go home.

The former UFC title challenger said he's working on scheduling his next fight for the end of 2022. As for an opponent, he wants a crack at welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

"It's a bigger fight. Just skip all the mess," Diaz told TMZ Sports earlier this week. "I don't need to go in there and get my ass whooped by one of those young guys anyway. It's not that I won't win. It's just that I'm not motivated to fight somebody that's - I want to fight for the title. I don't want to do all this stuff. I'm 38 years old."

Diaz returned to the Octagon this past September after more than six years away from competition, losing to Robbie Lawler by third-round TKO in a middleweight contest.

UFC president Dana White said after the fight Diaz looked "incredible" despite losing, but he added months later he believed the native of Stockton, California, should retire from MMA.

Diaz said before the Lawler bout that he should have been booked to face Usman immediately upon returning to the sport. And though he lost to Lawler, Diaz remains confident he would get the best of Usman and win the 170-pound title.

"I'd love it if they gave me a shot," Diaz said. "I think I can beat (him)."

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