The UFC's first ever five-rounder to not be for a championship nor in the main event slot of the show saw Britain's Edwards prove himself as in line for a title shot at reigning champ Kamaru Usman as he beat the popular veteran via unanimous decision.

All three judges had Edwards up 49-46 over the five, with a nail-biting final round the only thing preventing a shutout.

In that round, Diaz — who had been picked apart with strikes and busted open by a stiff elbow — caught Edwards hard with a punch that jellied his foe. Diaz followed up with more shots to a retreating Edwards as the crowd in Glendale, Arizona rose to their feet anticipating a grandstand finish to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

However, Edwards was able to weather the late storm and the bout went the distance. His great work in rounds 1-4 ensured a hard-earned victory. Nonetheless, Diaz's trademark showmanship throughout the fight and the blistering eleventh-hour rally likely only served to enhance his legend, even in defeat.

UFC President Dana White said of Diaz after the contest: "His leg was done in the first round, he went five rounds taking leg kicks, bleeding out of both sides of his head. One was squirting this way, one way squirting this way.

"He was still doing what the Diaz brothers do. He was working the whole fight to get into his head and try to make him make a mistake, and then he eventually caught him in the fifth round. He’s unbelievable. He’s gonna be asking us for a six-round fight next time.

“I don’t know (what’s next),” White added when asked who Diaz will face next. “He’s a fan-favorite, people love him win, lose, or draw. I don’t know. We’ll see what’s next.”

DAZN News covered UFC 263 fight-by-fight live, and you can re-live the action here. UFC airs live on DAZN in Austria, Germany, Italy and Spain.