Getty Dana White
UFC president Dana White and MMA superstar Nate Diaz aren’t seeing eye to eye about Diaz’s contract with the promotion, and Jake Paul chimed in with his thoughts on the situation.
Diaz hasn’t competed inside the cage since June 2021 at UFC 263. He’s actively campaigned for a fight via social media for months, however he has yet to be booked. During a recent interview on “The MMA Hour,” Diaz confirmed that he only has one fight left on his UFC deal and he’s chomping at the bit to finish his tenure with the organization to pursue boxing and BJJ matches.
He told the show’s host, Ariel Helwani, that he’s asked for several opponents, but he hasn’t been given anyone. Diaz said he thinks the UFC is trying to keep him under contract until they can set up a trilogy fight with Conor McGregor, however the Irishman is still on ice due to the broken leg he suffered last summer.
Diaz said he wants to fight as soon as possible and he’s willing to accept any name the UFC throws at him.
Well, the UFC president was asked about Diaz’s recent comments during the UFC Long Island post-fight press conference on Saturday. And according to White, he can’t keep Diaz “hostage.”
“When isn’t Nate Diaz saying something crazy?” White said via MMA Fighting. “I’ve said this a million times and I’ll say it again — we can’t hold guys hostage. It’s not possible.
“I owe you three fights a year. If I don’t fight you three times a year, I have to pay you. How could I hold him hostage?”
“What do you think my plans are? We’re going to get him a fight,” the UFC president continued. “We’ll see what happens.”
Diaz & Paul Responded to White’s Post-Fight Presser Comments
Both Diaz and Paul took to Twitter on Saturday to react to the UFC president’s comments. According to Diaz, he hasn’t been offered a fight for nine months.
“Dana said Francis Ngannou was injured and couldn’t fight right now,” Diaz wrote. “Idk why he was so confused in interview. And in the last 9 months I been offered 0 fights and I asked for 5 legitimate opponents .. Thanks u for the kind words can I go now?”
“Dana The Turd White degrades Nate Diaz to the media & then in private gets on his knees begging Nate to stay so they can try & revive Conor McGregor,” Paul tweeted. “Get on your knees & beg you old f***.”
Diaz and Paul have been linked to a potential boxing match several times, with both fighters showing interest in recent interviews.
MMA Insider Ariel Helwani Reported That Diaz Hasn’t Been Offered a Fight in 2022, UFC Has Until October for Diaz to Compete
On Saturday night, Helwani tweeted that he had spoken to sources about Diaz’s situation. And according to the report, Diaz hasn’t been offered a fight this year by the UFC, and further, Diaz must compete inside the Octagon by October.
Helwani tweeted: “Here are the facts re: Nate Diaz: He hasn’t been formally offered a fight in 2022, sources say. After the Burns fight, as he said on Tuesday, he asked to fight Chimaev. He hasn’t been formally offered him or anyone else. UFC has until October for him to fight.”