White: Nate Diaz Not In UFC’s Big Picture
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No. 6-ranked welterweight, Nate Diaz, made his Octagon return at the UFC 241 pay-per-view (PPV) event last month in Anaheim, the first time we’ve seen the former lightweight since his majority decision loss to Conor McGregor back in late 2016.
After three rounds of abuse, Diaz was awarded a unanimous decision win over former 155-pound champion, Anthony Pettis, in the UFC 241 co-main event. The victory was enough to have color commentator, Joe Rogan, gushing over the “love” and “respect” the longtime “superstar” was finally getting.
Read those comments here.
But just because Rogan has reignited his Stockton bromance doesn’t mean the promotion has big plans for Diaz. Not only does he remain unbooked at this time, promotion president, Dana White, is not including Diaz in any “big picture” plans.
“Nate Diaz has fought once in the last three years,” White told ESPN. “When I think about the big picture stuff, I don’t even think about Nate. Nate is one of those weird situations where we might not hear from the kid for another three years.”
I guess Jorge Masvidal can stop training for that late-2019 showdown. Diaz called for a shot at “Gamebred” after dropping the curtain on “Showtime,” but with No. 3-ranked Leon Edwards waiting in the wings, UFC matchmakers may have other plans.
Not that it matters. Like McGregor, who makes a mint with his record-breaking whiskey venture, the joint-jockeying Diaz “banked out” with the cannabis industry and no longer needs combat sports as his primary source of income.
