Nate Diaz will fight any UFC fighter to fulfill his contract. He said that every fight he requested was granted, and that he has been offered a contract to extend his octagon career.
“I was trying to get this shit on the road, but they don’t want me out of contract and they’re keeping me in there and they’re holding me hostage,” Diaz said Tuesday during a special edition of The MMA Hour. “And that’s my main objective here. That’s my main objective here.”
Diaz confirmed he has one fight remaining on his current contract. He was offered a fight against Khamzat Chimiev at UFC , but he declined it because the UFC star is a welterweight fighter. He said he has requested bouts with Vicente Luque, Tony Ferguson and several others to no avail.
The fight Diaz wants is a trio with Conor McGregor (his longtime rival, and second-time opponent), who continues to recover from the injury to his left leg at UFC 264.. He believes that the promotion holds him in contract to leverage until he does.
“They don’t want to let me out of my contract,” he said. They want me to fight Conor. I’m not fighting Conor McGregor right now. They don’t match up. Please bring your life back, I will be back .”
Diaz did not offer any new details on his contract during the interview on Tuesday, such as the term of his current contract or whether it’s been extended as the UFC typically does when fighters turn down bouts. He repeatedly stated that he isn’t interested in spending more money with the UFC. While he’s not opposed to returning in the future, he wants to explore other avenues like boxing, jiu-jitsu and fight promotion.
Jake Paul and Dustin Poirier were all possible opponents to Diaz. These are just some of the alternatives Diaz accepted. In the case of Paul, who offered to fight Diaz for free in the UFC in exchange for pay concessions to rank-and-file fighters, Diaz was skeptical about the fight materializing, but added, “s***, if it gets me out of my contract, let’s do this s***.”
” I’m interested to do everything,” he stated. I’m very interested in any activity. He’ll be the one who steps up first, so I will fight him. Everybody is welcome to fight me. Anybody who wishes to fight I will fight.
The last time Diaz mentioned that he spoke with UFC executives Dana White or Hunter Campbell was in Las Vegas. He pitched the same message to them. He claimed that he received several opponents tied to new contracts in return. When he balked at that, he said the executives left him alone in his office, prompting him to allegedly make another kind of statement.
” In the last meeting, Diaz went, “Let’s get your going, let’s talk in few,”” Diaz stated. He and Hunter fled the building. I was just about to take some ***.. I went out in the back and took a piss.”
The UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Diaz’s interview.
Diaz expressed gratitude to his promoter, for giving him this platform that allows him to see millions of people. He conceded the world’s best fighters were signed with the UFC, even if they were “used and abused” by a revolving door of signings and firings. He said that the UFC’s private and public message regarding his value was inconsistent.
” I appreciate UFC but they value me in private but devalue me in public,” he stated.
When he started speaking out against the promoter, Diaz said, his salary was at $45,000 to show and $45,000 to fight then-champ Benson Henderson in 2012 (he lost the bout via decision). He was able to complain every time and got better deals.
He claimed his most recent offer is more money than anyone in the UFC is paid, with the exception of McGregor. But he is not interested right now.
” I don’t need any more money,” Diaz stated. “I want to go do different stuff. I went in there and talked to them, and it’s with all due respect. … I may resign, but .”
is what I require.
