Nick Diaz Withdraws From UFC 310 Bout
Nick Diaz’s planned return against Vicente Luque was canceled before the December 7, 2024 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The promotion announced on November 27 that Themba Gorimbo would replace Diaz, but did not give a reason for Diaz’s withdrawal. At the time, this would have been Diaz’s first fight since September 2021.
The replacement bout
Luque did face Gorimbo at the event. He submitted the Zimbabwean fighter with an anaconda choke at 0:52 of the first round, according to the official event results. The bout was added after the promotion confirmed Diaz’s removal in its card update.
Diaz’s status after the cancellation
Diaz’s last appearance in the Octagon remains his September 2021 rematch with Robbie Lawler, which ended by third-round TKO. In a February 2026 interview, Diaz said he planned to keep fighting after addressing his health and recovery. He has not competed since the Lawler bout, and no new fight was announced in that report. The reason for the December 2024 withdrawal was never publicly specified by the promotion.
The cancellation drew attention because Diaz’s return had been discussed for months, and a prior booking with Luque had also fallen through. The confirmed record is straightforward: Diaz did not compete in Las Vegas, Gorimbo stepped in, and Luque won the replacement matchup.
The promotion’s Nick Diaz profile lists the Lawler fight as his last appearance; the latest reported update on Diaz’s comeback plans came from MMA Fighting in February 2026.
