Getty Nate Diaz in the corner of Jake Shields (not shown) during Shields' World Series of Fighting welterweight championship fight against Jon Fitch at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on December 31, 2016 in New York City.
Since UFC president Dana White revealed earlier this month that he has a lightweight opponent in mind for Nate Diaz, many have speculated that it’s No. 2 ranked Justin Gaethje.
Gaethje vs. Diaz would be an electric battle between two of the most popular fighters in the organization. Although White never revealed the identity of Diaz’s possible opponent, he said that the stakes would be high for the winner of the bout.
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Gaethje revealed he hasn’t spoken to the UFC about a matchup with Diaz, however he is open to the fight should it be presented. During the interview, Gaethje also took aim at Diaz’s enjoyment of marijuana, saying that he could “outsmoke” the fighter from Stockton, California.
“If they call me to fight Nate Diaz, I’m fighting Nate Diaz,” Gaethje told Okamoto. “I’d roll him up and smoke him like a blunt.
“I could outsmoke Nate Diaz any day of the week, I guarantee that,” he continued. “I’m not very proud of that, but you know, he thinks he’s “Mr. 4/20.” I’ll roll him up and smoke him.”
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Gaethje Is Ready to Take a Fight in the UFC, Needs 12 Weeks to Prepare
Gaethje confirmed to Okamoto that he is ready to take a fight whenever the UFC calls him and is eyeing multiple competitors, specifically No. 1 ranked lightweight Dustin Poirier, No. 3 ranked Charles Oliveira, No. 4 ranked Michael Chandler, No. 6 ranked Conor McGregor and Diaz, who is not currently ranked in the UFC.
“The Highlight” told Okamoto that after he accepts a fight, he will need 12 weeks to prepare, meaning fans won’t see Gaethje back inside the Octagon until late-April at the earliest.
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Gaethje Last Fought in October 2020, Lost His No. 1 Ranking This Week
The last time The Highlight entered the UFC’s Octagon was in October 2020 as the interim lightweight champion. He took on lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed title in the main event of UFC 254 on October 24. There was an immense amount of hype going into the fight, as many viewed Gaethje’s wrestling as a potential avenue for the American to nullify the undefeated Nurmagomedov’s ruthless ground game. That wasn’t the case.
Although The Highlight landed a few powerful shots, “The Eagle” made short work of him, submitting him in the second round by triangle choke. With the defeat, Gaethje’s four-fight win streak was snapped and he lost the interim belt. On Tuesday, Gaethje also lost the No. 1 ranking he held since winning the interim championship in May 2020.
Dustin Poirier defeated Conor McGregor by second-round TKO on January 23, securing the No. 1 spot over Gaethje. The Highlight is now No. 2. Not to be deterred, Gaethje is ready to fight again and become the undisputed king of lightweight.
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