Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz had a brief, albeit heartfelt conversation in the octagon following their five-round war at UFC 263.
Just two days after earning the unanimous decision over Diaz, Edwards shared what Diaz told him following their fight and specifically what advice he gave him in regards to self-promotion.
“Nate told me after the fight “don’t let these motherfuckers tell you ain’t shit name your price or they will name it for you” and I felt that,” Edwards tweeted on Monday.
Edwards could be referring to the ongoing discussion regarding fighter pay and the UFC. Athletes across the promotion including Diaz, UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones have weighed in on the conversation in recent weeks.
With the win over Diaz, Edwards is widely expected to be next in line for the title after UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and top contender Colby Covington fight in a rematch targeted for later this year. UFC president Dana White said in his post-fight press conference that the Usman vs. Covington rematch is still the fight to make despite Edwards’ impressive performance at UFC 263.
As Edwards’ stock continues to rise, so will his desired payout as one of the most technical martial artists in the promotion. During his media availability leading up to the fight with Edwards, Diaz gave advice to Ngannou and others who are looking to get a bigger paycheck from the UFC brass.
“What is Francis Ngannou doing wrong?” Diaz said. “I’ve been doing more right than all these motherfuckers for years and years. They should have been spitting all that ‘I need money shit a long time ago like I was.”
“I was never no champion and I was saying, ‘F**k you, let me get some money cracking,’ and what happened? My stock just raised anyway and nobody was jumping on and now they’re like, ‘What are we doing wrong?’ You should have listened to your daddy years ago motherfuckers, all of you, the whole roster.”
While the 36-year-old Diaz doesn’t appear to be leaving the fight game anytime soon, he seems keen on giving advice to the younger stars of the promotion specifically when it comes to earning a fair deal.
What are your thoughts on the conversation between Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz regarding fighter pay?