For Nate Diaz, the choice of his next fight is no longer about the money.
Nate got his biggest break when he was offered to fight Conor McGregor the first time at UFC 196 in March 2016. His stock dramatically rose when he ended up winning via second-round stoppage, after stepping in with barely two weeks’ notice.
He fought “The Notorious” again at UFC 202 five months later and lost via majority decision. But even so, Diaz took home $2 million, the biggest paycheck of his career.
Fully aware about how much he is now worth, the younger Diaz brother says he is no longer after “big money fights.” Rather, he is looking for fights that would be more of relevance.
“They said I was waiting for Conor McGregor, but I wasn’t waiting for Conor McGregor,” Diaz told Garnek Sports. “I already beat him twice, so I was just training and saying if I was gonna fight again anytime soon, it was going to be a big deal fight. Not a money fight, because I get paid, regardless.”
One of the biggest conversation pieces in combat sports right now is a potential boxing superfight between McGregor and retired undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather. Diaz does not seem to care too much about the fight, but if McGregor would be allowed to compete in boxing, he feels the same treatment should be given to him.
“I tried to get my boxing license years ago,” Diaz said. “Some boxing promoters were trying to buy my contract from the UFC, (but) the UFC was not letting me go. But now they’re talking about the McGregor-Mayweather stuff. I don’t now how real or fake it is, but who knows. Money talks.”
“I already got my California license, and I’m getting my Nevada license right now for boxing. If they’re gonna let McGregor box, I’m gonna be boxing, too. I’mma get in on that.”