Nate Diaz feels slighted once again.
Diaz, never one to “fall in line,” told ESPN that he believes the UFC views his recent win over Conor McGregor as “an accident or something.” The two are set to headline July’s UFC 200 event in Las Vegas.
“I swear to God, the UFC thinks it was an accident or something,” Diaz said. “They think it was an accident, and now they’re saying, ‘Let’s get Nate back in there and take him out before he gets any bigger.’
“I don’t think so. I’ve fought everyone in the UFC, and they better give me some (expletive) compliments if I win this fight.”
Diaz (19-10) also took exception to recent comments made by UFC president Dana White, who remarked that McGregor (19-3) has become “obsessed” over a rematch with the “Stockton Bad Boy.”
“Since that last fight, have you heard any praise for me from Dana or the UFC? None at all,” he said. “How much praise has that (expletive) got? I’ve never lost a fight and not wanted to fight that guy 10 minutes later. The UFC is pumping him up again, saying he wants to redeem himself and giving him all this credit for it.
“It’s like, dude, I’ve been obsessed with every fight I’ve ever lost. This is a gift for him to get it right away.”
Despite McGregor being the reigning UFC featherweight champion, the contest will once again happen at welterweight – just like the first. Diaz believes it is so he doesn’t look “weak” by changing the circumstances.
“It’s not cool to go in and make your own set of rules because you lost on another set,” he added. “If you’re going to avenge your loss, you’ve gotta go out and avenge it for real.”
Along with McGregor-Diaz, the card will also include Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar for the interim featherweight title and Cain Velasquez vs. Travis Browne in a heavyweight showdown.