Getty Nate Diaz enters the Octagon to fight Leon Edwards during their UFC 263 welterweight match at Gila River Arena on June 12, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona.
Fighting superstar Nate Diaz has revealed his next UFC target and if the fight actually comes together, it has the recipe to be a thrilling event.
Diaz returned to action in June after taking a year-and-a-half hiatus from the Octagon. He fought Leon Edwards in a five-round affair during UFC 263 in Glendale, Arizona, on June 12, 2021. The fight went all five frames and during the last minute of the fight, Diaz caught “Rocky” on the chin and nearly finished the Englishman. But as history has it, Diaz couldn’t get it done and Edwards earned the victory by unanimous decision.
After the fight, Diaz told the media that he plans on fighting again before the year is up and judging by a recent Twitter post from Diaz, he has an opponent in mind.
“Let’s fight don’t be scared this time tho,” Diaz tweeted on Wednesday, August 11, 2021. See below:
So, who was that directed at? Diaz published the tweet hours after his rival, No. 1-ranked UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier, made a tweet of his own.
“Nathan?” Poirier tweeted nearly four hours before Diaz’s. See below:
Nathan?
The latest UFC news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on UFC newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on UFC Newsletter!
Poirier & Diaz Were Scheduled to Fight in 2018, Challenged Each Other Several Times
GettyAre Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz headed into a megafight?
Diaz and Poirier have a long history and this isn’t the first time these fighters have expressed interest in fighting each other. In fact, the two were scheduled to fight in 2018 at UFC 230, however Poirier pulled out due to an injury, hence why Diaz wrote “don’t be scared this time.”
“The Diamond” and Diaz also share a common rival: Conor McGregor. Poirier has fought McGregor three times, including earning back-to-back victories over the Irishman this year. Diaz fought “Notorious” twice in 2016, splitting the fights 1-1.
After Poirier defeated McGregor at UFC 264 on July 10, 2021, in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White made it clear to the media that Poirier would be next in line for a lightweight title shot against champion Charles Oliveira. No fight has been announced and there hasn’t been any word from Poirier or Oliveira about the fight.
Should Diaz and Poirier meet inside the Octagon instead, their fighting styles and fan appeal will likely bolster the event into one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year.
Follow the Heavy on UFC Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Diaz Is On a 2-Fight Losing Streak, Poirier Is 7-1 In Last 8 Fights
From a rankings standpoint, Poirier vs. Diaz wouldn’t make sense. The Diamond is set up for a 155-pound title shot riding a three-fight winning streak. He’s also 7-1 in his last eight bouts with his sole loss coming to former lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Diaz has lost his last two fights and is 3-3 in his last six matches. Further, Diaz hasn’t fought at 155 pounds since 2015. He’s competed at welterweight since his first fight with McGregor in 2016.
But as fight fans know well, the UFC will sometimes stray from the rankings in order to put on the biggest commercial fights possible, and Poirier vs. Diaz could be just that.
READ NEXT: Conor McGregor Cancels Boxing Match Due to UFC 264 Leg Injury