Dana White: ‘I don’t have any expectations’ for Nick Diaz

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

“We’ll see how this thing plays out. I don’t have any expectations, whatsoever.”  There’s a lot of renewed interest and buzz surrounding Nick Diaz right now, as the UFC veteran revealed earlier this we…

UFC 252 Miocic v Cormier 3 Press Conference

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

“We’ll see how this thing plays out. I don’t have any expectations, whatsoever.” 

There’s a lot of renewed interest and buzz surrounding Nick Diaz right now, as the UFC veteran revealed earlier this week that he recently completed a 14-week diet and training regime in preparation for a return to the UFC.

Diaz’ manager, Kevin Mubenga, said the 37-year-old fan favorite is keeping a close eye on the welterweight division and is expected to return at 170 lbs.

Several fighters, including welterweight standouts Darren Till and Leon Edwards, have already called for a fight with the older Diaz brother but UFC president Dana White isn’t getting his hopes up too much.

Speaking to reporters at a media scrum White, who has a somewhat turbulent relationship with Diaz, said he has no expectations about the former Strikeforce welterweight champion whatsoever.

“The Nick Diaz thing: First of all, we would’ve never released that or done that,” White told reporters following DWCS Season 4: Week 6 (h/t Mike Heck of MMA Fighting). “We’ll see how this thing plays out. I don’t have any expectations, whatsoever. We’ll see what happens.”

White did admit that he’s been in talks with Diaz over the years but that nothing has ever come to fruition.

“Yeah, there’s been talking,” White said. “But there’s been talking for years.”

Diaz hasn’t fought since 2015, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Anderson Silva in the UFC 183 main event. The result was overturned to a no contest, however, after Silva tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and Diaz for marijuana metabolites.