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If Nate Diaz is in fact retiring from the sport of MMA then Jorge Masvidal will be saving him a rematch when he returns.
Diaz, who announced earlier this week that he’s taking a break from fighting, is coming off a TKO loss to Masvidal back at UFC 244 earlier this month. The welterweight clash was contested for the inaugural “Baddest Motherf—ker” belt in front of a wild Madison Square Garden crowd in New York City. While the cageside doctor ultimately put a stop to the main event fight after the end of the third round, “Gamebred” had done enough damage to claim “BMF” rights.
With UFC president Dana White uninterested in a rematch between the two, Diaz has packed his bags and went back into hiding. Remember, the 34-year-old took a three-year hiatus from the sport following his pair of fights with Conor McGregor in 2016, only to return this past August against Anthony Pettis at UFC 241.
While fight fans are truly unsure of how long Diaz will be out, especially with a potential trilogy bout with McGregor on the table, Masvidal is willing to grant the Stockton fighter a rematch when he returns.
“Heard it might be true, if so it was fun sharing the #cage with you,” wrote Masvidal via Instagram. “Whenever you get that itch again, let’s run it back. I’m gonna go make this paper in the mean time @natediaz209 #theresurrection”
Masvidal, who now has wins over Darren Till, Ben Askren, and Diaz since March, really had his way with Nate over the course of their UFC 244 clash. Diaz is known to turn it on in the later rounds, which is why most fight fans were upset with the doctor’s stoppage, but “Gamebred” had sliced up Diaz’s face enough to rightfully win the fight.
If Diaz does in fact return to action a rematch with Masvidal could be a worthwhile matchup to book. But with Masvidal gearing up for a potential UFC welterweight title shot, and Diaz going on an indefinite hiatus, the reboot is unlikely to happen anytime soon.