UFC News 2017: Nate Diaz Says the UFC Has Put Him on the Sidelines
While every contender in the lower weight classes in the UFC appears to be angling for a big money fight with lightweight champion Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz has been sitting silently on the sidelines. Diaz's popularity is at an all-time high now after he went toe-to-toe with McGregor at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 196 and UFC 202. However, he hasn't been inside the octagon since their last fight.
Diaz recently attended Bellator 170 over the weekend, and he told the Los Angeles Times that the UFC has "put him on the shelf" that's why he decided to apply for a boxing license in Nevada. He also said nobody wants to face him right now.
"No one in MMA wants it. No one says they want a big-deal fight against me. If someone wants to fight, then let's make a big deal."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Well, it's true that nobody has targeted him since his previous fight, which is quite odd. But UFC president Dana White has countered with a text message explaining why Diaz has been on the sidelines all this time.
"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 White was told that Diaz wants him to call first, he replied with an eye-roll emoji. If Diaz wants another fight with McGregor, he'll have to wait for months because the lightweight champion is currently taking some time off because his girlfriend is due to give birth in May.
And there's no telling what McGregor will do once he comes back. UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley has already said that he's willing to defend his title against McGregor. That's obviously an intriguing matchup. There's also the much-talked-about potential boxing match between McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
McGregor will also have to deal with the winner of the interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov sometime in the future. If Diaz wants a trilogy fight with McGregor, he may have to wait in line.
