Nick Diaz will compete in 2024 after all.
The longtime UFC star is set to return to the promotion for the first time in over three years against Vicente Luque at UFC 310 on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas, UFC CEO Dana White announced Saturday.
Diaz and Luque were originally scheduled to meet in a welterweight fight at UFC Abu Dhabi in August, but Diaz withdrew from the bout due to travel issues.
Diaz, 41, hasn't stepped into the Octagon since a third-round TKO loss to former 170-pound champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 in September 2021. Diaz ended a six-year layoff in that fight.
The Stockton native, once one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster, is 0-3 (1 NC) in his last four fights. He hasn't won since beating BJ Penn in 2011. Diaz is a former welterweight title challenger.
Luque is looking to get back on track himself. The Brazilian, who trains out of Kill Cliff FC in Florida, is coming off a second-round knockout loss to Joaquin Buckley in March and is 1-3 in his last four Octagon appearances, with the lone victory coming against former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos in August 2023. Luque, 32, is ranked No. 14 in the welterweight division.