Tag: UFC 196

Nate Diaz Doesn’t Have Good News About The Rest Of 2017

With the first four months devoid of fights that drive fans’ interest, the collective MMA world was wishing Nate Diaz would finally reveal a blockbuster return when he spoke to Ariel Helwani on a special episode of “The MMA Hour” today. But the opposite is unfortunately true, as Diaz revealed he hasn’t spoken much with

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With the first four months devoid of fights that drive fans’ interest, the collective MMA world was wishing Nate Diaz would finally reveal a blockbuster return when he spoke to Ariel Helwani on a special episode of “The MMA Hour” today.

But the opposite is unfortunately true, as Diaz revealed he hasn’t spoken much with UFC President Dana White nor the new owners at WME-IMG, so rumors of him facing Tony Ferguson for an interim lightweight title while Conor McGregor chases a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather are just that – rumors:

“Dana White, we haven’t talked too much. That’s why I’m saying; I wonder what’s their deal, and what they wanna do. I’m hearing rumors and I feel a lot of pressure, people always like tell me this. I’m fighting Ferguson, and I’m doing this, and Conor’s sitting out, and Conor’s manager sitting there saying I need to impress someone. I’m like, what the fuck? You guys need to fight each other and impress me. The real gold’s right here. It’s funny to me how Conor McGregor’s manager says I need to light a fire under McGregor’s ass to get a third fight. The real champ is right here. They can light a fire under my ass.

The younger Diaz brother previously stated he would only return for a trilogy match with McGregor, a bout he wants $20 million to participate in. With no concrete plans – or even preliminary discussions – to return to the octagon, Diaz expressed his anger at McGregor’s attempt to fight Mayweather, citing his belief that everyone seems to have forgotten he submitted the Irishman in their first meeting at March 2016’s UFC 196:

“Conor is a fucking bitch. He got choked. If Floyd beats Conor who cares, I already beat his ass. Everybody seems to have forgot what happened. I don’t even want a third fight. Fuck Conor. He can go fuck himself. I don’t owe anybody any favors. I’d like to be treated with a little bit more respect.“

Diaz then stated his intention to sit out for the rest of 2017 without an offer on the table. Even if you think he has to fight to make money, he said he absolutely does not. With a whole host of lucrative opportunities available in the commercial cannabis industry, Diaz said the weed world is simply throwing cash at him, showing a jar of Kush to Helwani:

“In one year I got the two biggest selling pay-per-views in UFC history. I’m not going to die off. The cannabis industry is throwing money at me.”

Diaz was reportedly offered a fight with former champion Eddie Alvarez at next week’s UFC 211, but actually took offense to the offer, which he insisted Alvarez turned down on the first place based on the onetime Bellator champion’s performance against a man he submitted earlier last year:

“They called me about the Eddie Alvarez fight. Eddie Alvarez had his chance. Eddie’s ass turned it down. Do you want the Eddie Alvarez fight? How dare you? You just got melted by the guy I beat up.”

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Live: Watch Nate Diaz’s Special Interview With Ariel Helwani

Fan favorite lightweight Nate Diaz has been out of action since his thrilling five-round majority decision loss to rival Conor McGregor at last August’s UFC 202. The enigmatic Stockton slugger has largely stayed out of the public eye since aside from demanding he would only fight McGregor in a trilogy bout, even demanding a $20

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Fan favorite lightweight Nate Diaz has been out of action since his thrilling five-round majority decision loss to rival Conor McGregor at last August’s UFC 202.

The enigmatic Stockton slugger has largely stayed out of the public eye since aside from demanding he would only fight McGregor in a trilogy bout, even demanding a $20 million fee to do so at one point. He also reportedly turned down a fight with former 155-pound champ Eddie Alvarez at next week’s (Sat., May 13, 2017) UFC 211 from Dallas, prompting many to speculate when – or even if – the younger Diaz brother will return to the octagon.

McGregor’s manager, who also manages top-ranked UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson, thinks Diaz needs to ‘earn’ a rematch with McGregor by fighting and defeating ‘El Cucuy’ while the Irish champion is off pursuing a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

It’s created quite the messy set of circumstances, one that MMA fans hope Diaz can sort out during his appearance on a special episode of “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani today. Watch the video courtesy of MMA Fighting’s official YouTube page starting live at 4 p.m. ET:

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Nate Diaz Has Punishment Reduced For UFC 202 McGregor Melee

Just like his rival Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz just received some good news regarding his bottle-throwing scene prior to their rematch at UFC 202. In an outcome similar to McGregor’s re-hearing, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) announced that Diaz would have both his fine and his suspension for the incident reduced to $15,000 and 15 hours

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Just like his rival Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz just received some good news regarding his bottle-throwing scene prior to their rematch at UFC 202.

In an outcome similar to McGregor’s re-hearing, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) announced that Diaz would have both his fine and his suspension for the incident reduced to $15,000 and 15 hours of community service.

Diaz was initially dealt a $50,000 fine and 50 hours of community service. He paid the fine and is technically eligible to return to fighting, having until the end of the year to complete his community service. Yet the only bout Diaz has repeatedly stated he’d come back for is a lucrative third match-up with McGregor. With ‘The Notorious’ embroiled in complicated negotiations for his potential boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, that doesn’t appear to be a clear possibility for the immediate future.

According to MMAJunkie.com, Diaz has not officially signed the reduced punishment agreement, but his attorney Sam Awad stated they would contact NSAC Executive Director Bob Bennet and sign the deal.

With this outcome an expected one after McGregor had his punishment greatly reduced, MMA fans can only wonder if and when the super-popular Diaz will return to the octagon.

But hey, at least one top contender wants to fight.

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Amanda Nunes Reacts To Valentina Shevchenko’s Rio Refusal

Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko are having a tough time agreeing to a date for their perceived upcoming title bout. A rematch between the two, who fought in a close bout that current women’s bantamweight champion Nunes won at last year’s UFC 196, was all but set in stone when Shevchenko submitted Julianna Pena at

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Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko are having a tough time agreeing to a date for their perceived upcoming title bout.

A rematch between the two, who fought in a close bout that current women’s bantamweight champion Nunes won at last year’s UFC 196, was all but set in stone when Shevchenko submitted Julianna Pena at January 28’s UFC on FOX 23 and Nunes gave up her quest to fight for the featherweight belt.

All that was left was to set the date, so Nunes recently (and understandably) called Shevchenko out for June 3’s UFC 212 from her homeland in Rio de Janeiro:

‘Bullet’ was quick to fire back, explaining that the UFC had offered them both a fast turnaround to fight at April 8’s UFC 210 event from Buffalo, but “The Lioness” turned it down so she made plans. Because of that fact, Shevchenko proclaimed she’d be ready anytime in July:

Finally, the champion took a bit of umbrage to her foil’s reply, noting that challengers do not pick the date of the fight, only show up and fight:

That’s an understandable response from the champ, who’s coming off a dominant first-round stoppage of former champ Ronda Rousey that lasted only 48 brutal seconds.

However, it looks like Nunes’ attempt to get her next title defense confirmed for Brazil backfired when she turned down an earlier fight day, as Shevchenko is now aiming for the festivities of International Fight Week in July.

UFC 212 still boats a high-profile title fight, with longtime featherweight champ Jose Aldo set to defend his newly-reacquired belt against streaking interim champ Max Holloway in the main event.

As for Nunes and Shevchenko, who are you picking to win the rematch, no matter when it happens?

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Nate Diaz Explains Why He’s Getting Boxing License

While many mixed martial arts (MMA) fans are wondering when former UFC welterweight title challenger Nick Diaz will return, his younger brother Nate is apparently also looking to get back inside the Octagon. The Diaz brothers recently attended this past weekend’s (Sat., January 21, 2017) Bellator 170 event, where LA Times’ Lance Pugmire got the

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While many mixed martial arts (MMA) fans are wondering when former UFC welterweight title challenger Nick Diaz will return, his younger brother Nate is apparently also looking to get back inside the Octagon.

The Diaz brothers recently attended this past weekend’s (Sat., January 21, 2017) Bellator 170 event, where LA Times’ Lance Pugmire got the opportunity to catch up with the Stockton Boys. When asked about his hiatus from fighting action since the conclusion of his second bout with rival Conor McGregor at UFC 202, Diaz claims the promotion is ‘putting him on the shelf,’ which is why he’s attempting to get his boxing license in Nevada:

“I know what this is: I’m being put on the shelf,” Diaz said. “That’s why I’m trying to get a boxing license (in Nevada).”

“No one in MMA wants it,” he said. “No one says they want a big-deal fight against me. If someone wants to fight, then let’s make a big deal.”

Pugmire then texted UFC President Dana White to inquire about when the younger Diaz may see Octagon action again, to which White responded that he hasn’t heard from him since August:

“Nate said the only fight he wants is Conor … I haven’t heard a word from him [since August]. Usually when guys want a fight, they call.”

When presented with the possibility that Diaz would like to hear from the promotion first, White simply responded with a rolling eyes emoji.

It’s highly likely Diaz won’t fight again until his trilogy bout with ‘The Notorious One;’ however, with McGregor set to take a lengthy period of time off to enjoy the birth of his first child, perhaps a bout between the winner of the interim lightweight title bout featuring Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson would be a possibility.

While Diaz was adamant he wants to remain active, his older brother Nick stated his return to the Octagon is coming “pretty soon”. This comes after reports that Diaz declined a welterweight title bout with Tyron Woodley and former champ Robbie Lawler.

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Quote: Conor McGregor Backed Out Of Movie Because Diaz Kicked His Ass

Once upon a time UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor was all set to co-star alongside Vin Diesel in xXx: “The Return of Xander Cage”, but that all took a left turn after the Irish champ ran into a man named Nate Diaz. The then-featherweight champ was set to attempt to make UFC history (which he later

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Once upon a time UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor was all set to co-star alongside Vin Diesel in xXx: “The Return of Xander Cage”, but that all took a left turn after the Irish champ ran into a man named Nate Diaz.

The then-featherweight champ was set to attempt to make UFC history (which he later did against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205) by challenging then-lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196 for the 155-pound strap, in effort to become the first dual-weight champ in promotion history. Unfortunately Dos Anjos was forced out of the contest after suffering a broken foot in training camp, and longtime lightweight contender Nate Diaz would step in to take on ‘Notorious’ in a welterweight contest.

After battering Diaz on the feet for the first five minutes of the fight, McGregor gassed out and ate a flush 1-2 combo to the chin that wobbled him, eventually finding himself in the Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt’s firm rear-naked choke, forcing him to tap and suffer the first and only defeat of his UFC career.

Shortly following the defeat McGregor shifted his attention to an immediate rematch with Diaz to avenge the loss, putting all planned projects on hold to focus on his training. Those projects included his part in xXx: “The Return of Xander Cage”, forcing McGregor to withdraw from his commitment to the film, something director DJ Caruso tells The Irish Mirror pissed him off:

“I wasn’t disappointed by it, I was really pissed because Conor had said ‘yes’ he was gonna do the movie,” Caruso said. “He got his ass kicked by Nate Diaz and then after that he sort of backed out.”

McGregor would go on to successfully avenge his loss to Diaz five months later with a majority decision win at UFC 202, while UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping took his place in the film. xXx: “The Return of Xander Cage” will hit theatres tomorrow (Friday, January 20, 2017), and you can check out a preview for the film featuring Bisping here:

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