Yesterday we had Tyron Woodley state that his next likely opponent would be Nate Diaz. Today we hear Nate Diaz is looking at the welterweight champion as his next opponent.
Diaz hasn’t fought since a majority decision loss to Conor McGregor in their big money rematch in August 2016. Diaz (19-11) told ESPN he was “ready to rock and roll”.
It had appeared Diaz was holding out for a trilogy fight with McGregor but with McGregor still no nearer a return, Diaz is keen to make his own return to the cage. Woodley (18-3-1) has called out Diaz in recent months, and Diaz is open to discussing with the UFC for the potential to match up against Woodley.
“I’m getting to the point where I’m sick of not fighting. I’m not getting any younger,” Diaz told ESPN. “I put that tweet out saying I wanted to fight in May or June, but I didn’t say who because I was weighing my options. And now, Woodley is my best option.
“I see him on TMZ every week, talking about me. I’m like, ‘What the f—? If that’s what you want to do.’ It’s not really my weight class, but I’m with it. I think it’s my title we’re fighting for. If he’s the one calling me out, whose title are we fighting for? Who’s the real champion here?”
Diaz was asked when he’d like the fight to take place, his preference is to fight in Las Vegas, and mentioned UFC 226 on July 7th.
“I’d like a good two or three-month camp,” Diaz said. “We’ll figure it out. There’s definitely going to be something. I’m trying to fight.”
According to Diaz, it was the UFC who first showed an interest in a match up between the pair, which the UFC denied.
“They called me out of nowhere, when I wasn’t trying to fight nobody,” Diaz said. “They asked if I would fight Woodley and I said, “Well, I’d like a three-month camp.’
“I told them I’d fight him on shorter notice, but would send them what I wanted in the contract. It was nothing out of the norm. My boxing coach said something about $15 million in an interview, but that was never the number.
“Then I saw in the media, the UFC said they never approached me about it. I was like, ‘F— it then. I wasn’t the one asking for the fight.'”
With Dana White already saying Rafael Dos Anjos was next in line to face Woodley, it remains to be seen whether Diaz will get his wish.
When asked about McGregor, Diaz didn’t have too much to say.
“He’s just living his life right now and he’s got a magnifying glass on him, whatever he’s doing,” Diaz said. “I don’t give a f— what he does.
“I’m sure he’s up and down. ‘Do I want to be in these lights? Why am I not in these lights? I need to get in the lights. I need to get out of the lights.’ It’s a crazy roller coaster.”
Would you be happy with Diaz taking on Woodley?
Has he done enough to merit getting a title shot at a different weight class?
Time will tell.
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