UFC veteran Nate Diaz got called out for a slap-fighting title bout by one of his old foes.
Fan favorite Diaz was last seen in action against Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 three months ago. He was originally lined up to face top-ranked welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev but got his opponents shuffled after Chimaev missed weight by a mile.
Diaz put in an impressive performance and scored a fourth-round submission over Ferguson in a competitive affair. It would be the final bout on his contract with the promotion, meaning he was free to explore free agency. The Stockton-based grappler declined to re-sign with UFC and recently completed the three-month exclusive negotiation period.
While he has had more than one significant opponent, Diaz shared a fierce rivalry with former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor.
McGregor Challenges Diaz To Slap Fighting
McGregor challenged Diaz for a slap fighting title fight on Twitter. The 34-year-old Irish sensation got some digs in as he dismissed Diaz’s championship potential.
“Me Vs Nate on it for the title hahahaha maybe that’s a title you’d have a better chance of coming close to winning Nate you little slapper hahahaha.”
He expressed interest in the new sport and asked UFC president Dana White, who’s launching Power Slap, to explain the ruleset.
McGregor wrote: “This power slap championships is growing on me. Who doesn’t like watching good quality clatters hahaha,” he continued. “Is it a flip of a coin who gets to go first?
“How long do they have to recover before they get to throw their counter? Or is it over if they’re ko’d? Fascinating. I’m attending one of these 100%. Is this Dana’s ? Wtf is this madness Dana hahaha. I’m in.”
McGregor and Diaz Competed Twice in the Octagon
‘The Notorious’ has been out of action since his last outing against Louisiana bruiser Dustin Poirier in Jul. at UFC 264. He snapped his shin early in the fight and succumbed to a TKO loss that was expected to keep him on the sidelines for an extended period.
He underwent surgery for the broken left fibula and tibia and recently wrapped up shooting for his Hollywood debut in the upcoming reboot of the 1989 film “Road House.”
Following McGregor’s record-breaking knockout of legendary mixed martial artist Jose Aldo, he clashed with Diaz for the first time in Mar. 2016 at UFC 196. Diaz pulled off an impressive second-round finish of McGregor to end his unbeaten run under the banner. He doubled down on the performance with an iconic post-fight interview, announcing, “I’m not surprised motherf**kers.”
Their dispute did not end there as McGregor called for an immediate rematch. They faced a second time inside the cage in Aug. 2016 at UFC 202. McGregor managed to edge out Diaz on the judges’ scorecards by a majority decision in a hard-fought war.
Given how popular their rivalry is and the success it achieved commercially, there has been a lot of speculation about a potential trilogy fight. Both men appear to be open to the idea. With Diaz out of the UFC, it remains to be seen where his future lay.
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Nate Diaz Challenged by UFC Rival To Slap Title Fight