UFC star Nate Diaz took to Instagram on Monday, posting an image of himself slapping UFC President Dana White and rival Conor McGregor.
Diaz hasn’t fought since August of last year and will have to wait for a third bout against McGregor―the rivalry is currently tied at 1-1―as McGregor is getting ready for his boxing match against Floyd Mayweather in August. That didn’t stop him from firing a second shot at his rival, however, calling himself the real champion:
Diaz handed McGregor his first loss in the organisation at UFC 196, submitting the current lightweight champion in the second round. It was a huge upset, one McGregor avenged by unanimous decision at UFC 202.
The Irishman went on to beat Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title while Diaz waited, but White cast serious doubt on a third fight in December of last year. Per Damon Martin of Fox Sports, he said he couldn’t justify another all-out war between fighters from different weight classes like that.
It’s easy to see why Diaz is holding out for major fights in the wake of his two bouts with McGregor. Per BJPenn.com, he made roughly $13 million in the rematch, compared to just $40,000 in his bout against Michael Johnson.
The 32-year-old became a household name among mainstream fans overnight, but with McGregor fighting Mayweather, the lightweight division is tied up at the top. Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov are likely to fight each other at some point in the future after their fight at UFC 209 fell through, and Alvarez is still working his way back into contention.
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