UFC 300 still has a long way to go if it’s going to be the blockbuster event of 2024.
The “insane” event is planned for April 13, 2024 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it’s intended to be stacked with well-known talent from top-to-bottom. One man who could go a long way in helping push the star power of the card is a certain Stockton native named Nathan Diaz, a longtime fan favorite who’s been one part of some of the most successful pay-per-view (PPV) cards in UFC history thanks to his rivalry with Conor McGregor.
Nate Diaz being a free agent could complicate matters, but Diaz has already expressed a desire to return to the Octagon after boxing Jake Paul. Diaz has received a big money offer to compete in Professional Fighter’s League (PFL), so UFC CEO Dana White would presumably be forced to crack open the check book. That’s an obstacle, but Diaz sounds willing to work with UFC … if he could only find an opponent.
UFC 300 would be tight but there’s nobody to fight
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) December 23, 2023
“UFC 300 would be tight but there’s nobody to fight,” Diaz wrote.
He quickly gained a response from a frequent would-be foe: Dustin Poirier! “The Diamond” replied with a request for five rounds, as well as hitting Diaz with his own infamous quote: “Don’t be scared homie.”
5 rnds
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) December 24, 2023
Don’t be scared homie.
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) December 24, 2023
Before anyone gets too excited, it’s important to note this is a fairly snake-bitten match up, if not Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib levels of cursed. For Poirier, Diaz is the one who got away, a fight he nearly scored as early as November 2018. Diaz’s failed contract negotiations with UFC canned that fight date, and in the years since, the two have traded insults without a fight ever coming to fruition.
Perhaps the moment is finally right?
Paul fight aside, Diaz’s last appearance was a submission over Tony Ferguson in September 2022, a victory that (temporarily?) ended his 15-year run with the company. Poirier, meanwhile, is coming off a knockout loss to Justin Gaethje, a defeat which cost him both a potential title shot and BMF belt.