Nate Diaz will make his return to the Octagon after a long layoff when he collides with Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 13 on Saturday night at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Diaz has not fought since winning against Gray Maynard at TUF 18 Finale in November last year. The 29-year-old is one of the top lightweight contenders and one of the biggest threats to 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis.

Diaz is looking to get a shot against Pettis, but the No. 14th-ranked lightweight feels that UFC will not give him a chance to win the title. He expressed disappointment over the company's decision to arrange his return bout as a co-main event to the showdown between Junior dos Santos and Stipe Miocic.

"I think they want me to lose," Diaz said via ESPN. "They put me in a co-main event so it would be a three-round fight instead of a five-round fight. I don't think anyone is on my side here. I think this is all set up to see me go down."

UFC president Dana White fired back and said that Diaz has been complaining too much, which makes him unsure if they will give him a title shot if he wins against dos Anjos on Saturday night. White also blasted Diaz for weighing four pounds higher than the 156-pound lightweight limit.

"All he's been doing is complaining, not showing up for stuff, and now he doesn't make weight and he's four pounds over," White said via MMA Fighting. "I don't know what to do with him if he wins. There's a laundry list of problems there."

On the other hand, dos Anjos vowed to remain focus despite all the negative talks about his fight against Diaz. The 30-year-old Brazilian said that he is expecting a rough night, but he is convinced that he has what it takes to stop Diaz.

"He's a really good fighter. He has good stand-up, a good submission game as well, so that's why he's champion. But I think I have weapons to beat him," dos Anjos said via Bloody Elbow. "He's a tough fight, but I always see some holes in his game and I'm looking forward to working on them."

Predictions

Diaz's focus on his upcoming fight against dos Anjos is a big question mark. Dos Anjos will be an underdog heading into the fight, but he is tipped to score another huge upset win, similar to what he did in his previous fight against Benson Henderson at UFC Fight Night 49 in August.

Schedule, Where to Watch

The UFC on Fox 13 fight card will start at 4 p.m. EST, featuring preliminary cards that will be shown live via UFC Fight Pass. Six more preliminary bouts will be shown live on Fox Sports 1 starting 5 p.m. EST, while the main card will begin at 8 p.m. on Fox. Fans can also catch the action via Fox Sports Go.

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