Nate Diaz could find himself back inside of the Octagon competing for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), but the combat legend may need a title shot to make it happen.
Despite parting ways with UFC in late 2022 and struggling to make an impact in professional boxing, Diaz remains a super-popular figure in fighting. That’s because Diaz was a bona fide star under UFC rule and a fighter that everyone wanted to see compete. This includes his high-profile fights with Conor McGregor along with his “BMF” title fight opposite Jorge Masvidal.
While Diaz never won UFC gold most believe he’s done enough to cement his legacy in the sport. Diaz feels like he’s been a unique star compared to some of the other top names in combat sports, but also acknowledges there is still some unfinished business for him to accomplish inside of the Octagon.
“The legacy – I don’t think about it as done,” said Diaz in a recent video post to the Full Violence YouTube channel. “… I think it’s underrated, and I think there’s like f—king – I think I left more of an impact than a lot of these f—king, anybody has, really. I mean, Conor (McGregor) has in a way, and then you get like, my brother did – but all that sh-t gets forgotten about too. It can go away because you ain’t getting credit to begin with anyway. You might as well keep that sh-t going forever. That’s why I plan on fighting forever.”
Diaz, who turns 40 next month, would surely be welcomed back to UFC with open arms. The promotion could certainly find him someone to fight and make it a big deal, but Diaz doesn’t think there’s anyone left in UFC with the type of star power he’s looking for. Instead, the Stockton native has his eyes set on a title shot to make his return to UFC.
“Well, everybody’s boring right now, so I’m trying to do other sh-t for the moment,” Diaz said. “But like, I want to go back and get a UFC title. I don’t want to fight for nothing, you know? I want to fight for something. … It’s about buzz and who’s poppin’ and who’s doing something. Right now, there’s nobody doing sh-t in the UFC.”
Should UFC and Diaz strike a deal to make his return to the promotion official, the former lightweight title challenger would like to compete at welterweight only. That may be hard to do since Diaz doesn’t currently like anyone on the 170-pound roster, but maybe a matchup can be made down the line.
“Nobody,” Diaz said. “That’s why I’m not in there right now, you know what I’m saying? I’m watching. I’m hoping for something. … There’s no buzz, nobody’s doing sh-t. There’s nobody to fight, everybody is wack. Every single body in boxing and MMA.”
