‘You’re nothing without me.’
In a press conference, not long after he had fought and defeated Tony Ferguson at UFC 279, Nate Diaz was asked if he had received any personal calls or messages from Conor McGregor.
Diaz and McGregor had shared a couple of thrilling bouts, in 2016, and both have vowed to one day complete the trilogy. Asked if McGregor had spoken with him, or reached out, Diaz narrowed his eyes and shook his head.
“We supposed to fight, motherf***er, what you talking about? [Mimicking phone call] ‘Hey, how you doing? Wanna fight on… ‘. ‘F*** you, motherf***er! You calling my phone? Who gave you my number?’ That’s how the call would go.”
When the reporter replied that there may have been an email from McGregor, or his camp, Diaz joked, “I don’t know how to read no emails!”
Following his submission victory over Ferguson, in the fourth round of the UFC 279 main event, Diaz insisted he was done with a promotion that he had been with since 2008. For now. The door was not completely slammed on a UFC return, and that McGregor trilogy fight may happen yet.
If the pair do face off for a third time, Diaz says it will be in a Mixed Martial Arts bout, and not a boxing ring. He also threw some shade at McGregor that merely adds fuel to the fire.
‘Respect, please’
Ahead of that UFC 279 main event, which had been changed to Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson after Khamzat Chimaev missed weight and dropped back to take a catch-weight bout against Kevin Holland, McGregor paid his dues to the Stockton native.
‘Congrats Nate Diaz on making it to the end of his contractual obligations with the UFC, and as a bonafide superstar goer,’ wrote McGregor. ‘An incredible feat. Fair play. Our trilogy will happen.’
Diaz sunk in a guillotine on Ferguson and ‘El Cucuy’ tapped out with 2:09 left in that fourth round. In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Diaz declared:
“I want to get out of the UFC a minute and show all these fighters how to go take over another sport; you you’re supposed to do it. Because Conor McGregor didn’t know how to do it. None of the other fighters know how to do that… I’m just going to show other people how you go own another f***ing sport!”
McGregor was paying close attention and took umbrage with the Diaz comments. He wrote:
‘Ah come on, bro. I’m absolutely stinking. And with so much quality. This has never been seen before, what I’m doing, man. Please, you’re nothing with out me. Respect, please. I’d slap you around handy. And Tony easy. I’d have sawed Tony in half. 2 ham ball heads. Respect the king.’
https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1568838074443997184
McGregor stepped away from the UFC in 2017 and, in partnership with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, was a promoter for his boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr. He has boxed at a couple of charity fundraisers, since, but returned to the UFC for fights in 2018, 2020 and 2021.
Nate Diaz said kick-boxing and boxing are both avenues he wants to pursue bouts in. He said he plans to attend Jake Paul’s boxing match against former UFC champion Anderson Silva, on October. The YouTube star-turned-boxer could yet be a future opponent for the MMA veteran.
Elsewhere at UFC 279, Khamzat Chimaev picked up a handy submission win over Kevin Holland, and Daniel Rodriguez was a split decision winner of Li Jingliang.
