Getty Nate Diaz walks to the Octagon before his welterweight rematch against Conor McGregor at the UFC 202.
UFC superstar Nate Diaz’s potential rematch with Jorge Masvidal is in jeopardy in favor of a match between “Gamebred” and Colby Covington. Diaz has made it clear he wants to fight Masvidal, however he may need to wait longer than he anticipated.
A few weeks ago, it was reported by multiple outlets that Diaz and Masvidal were in talks of a rematch for the “BMF” belt, which would take place in early 2021 or late 2020.
However, with Covington picking up a massive win over Tyron Woodley at UFC Fight Night 178 on September 19, UFC president Dana White is seemingly steering toward that match. Masvidal and Covington are former training partners turned bitter rivals and with both being ranked in the top five of the welterweight division, the winner could be next in line for a title shot.
Since his victory, there have been talk circulating about Masvidal and Covington fighting, and when asked during the UFC 253 post-fight press conference about book the fight next, White told the media “that’s very possible.
“I don’t know if we’ve talked to Nate yet. But yeah, after the Colby fight (with Woodley), how do you not make that fight (between Covington and Masvidal)?” White said via Yahoo Sports.
The UFC president continued, “That’s the fight that makes sense. The Nate Diaz rematch is going to be there no matter what happens.”
Covington Wants to Fight Masvidal in a UFC PPV Main Event in Miami
Covington is coming off an impressive victory over former welterweight champ Tyron Woodley on September 19 during UFC Fight Night 178. After the win, “Chaos” had two specific names on his mind, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal.
Usman is linked to Gilbert Burns for his next title fight, so if that fight is off the table, Covington wants to take on Gamebred.
Covington recently spoke with Submission Radio and told the outlet that he wants to fight Masvidal and that “talks have been great.”
“The talks have been great,” Covington said via MMA Junkie. “Like I said, I agreed on the night that I fought Woodley and retired Woodley that night and left him in a stretcher to the hospital. I agreed right away. I said, ‘Dana, let’s do it. I wanna sign it up.’ You know, the terms are pretty much done. We’re ready to go. So, it’s all in ‘Street Judas’ Masvidal’s court.”
Covington said, “Dana White came up to me after my fight immediately and said, ‘Hey, we want to do you vs. Masvidal.’ I accepted right on that night, in that minute. So, (Masvidal) knows I’m on board. The UFC knows I’m on board. Now it’s just about getting ‘Street Judas’ Masvidal on board. He’s scared. He’s scared of my shadow. If my shadow was around him, he’d be running. So, who knows if he’ll show up to the octagon. I definitely don’t want to have to beat him up on the streets of Miami, cause I am the king of Miami.”
Covington told the outlet that him vs. Masvidal would be a pay-per-view main event.
“I mean, there’s no doubt about it,” Chaos continued. “We’re two of the biggest draws in the company, and we just so happen to be in the same weight class, and it just so happens to be we used to be best friends. We used to live together, train together every single day. …
“I think the best place to propose it for would be for American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. I think that would be a great ticket. And hopefully, by the time fans come back in December/January, it’s just perfect. It aligns perfectly, and there’s a big market for MMA in Miami. So, people want to see fighting in Miami, and I think the UFC needs to come back to Miami.”
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Diaz Recently Posted a Hype Video About Himself Fighting Jorge Masvidal
On Saturday, Diaz posted a hype video on his Instagram about himself and Masvidal fighting. Diaz, who lost to Masvidal by doctor’s stoppage after sustaining a cut in their main event fight at UFC 244 in November 2019, has campaigned for a rematch since the fight ended.
During his UFC 244 post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, the UFC commentator asked Diaz if he wanted to fight Masvidal again right away.
“Right back, right back…I’m coming back for your a**, motherf*****,” Diaz said via Heavy’s Kelsey McCarson.
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