With Nate Diaz having just one fight left on his UFC deal, Dana White has openly questioned if the Stockton native thinks he has enough to be a major player in the organisation’s welterweight frame.
Diaz has lost three of his past four fights in the Octagon, coming up short against Leon Edwards, Jorge Masvidal and Conor McGregor against a sole decision win against Anthony Pettis. He had been tentatively linked to a fight with the exciting 170-pound contender Vicente Luque but it seems as though the UFC are keeping their cards close to their chest due to his contractual situation.
Despite his recent unsuccessful skid, Diaz is likely requesting a bumper pay increase from the UFC — and speaking to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter, White hinted that Diaz’s recent body of work isn’t quite deserving of such a deal and wondered aloud if Diaz thinks he can compete with the elite fighters at 170-pounds.
Dana White on Nate Diaz’s future beyond his next bout: “If you believe that you are one of the best in the world and you believe that you can win a world title here or hang with the top-5, then this is where you should be.”
Full interview: https://t.co/W2lencCYzp pic.twitter.com/J66up5VGQV
— Aaron Br🎃nsteter (@aaronbronsteter) October 25, 2021
“That’s up to him. That’s a decision he needs to make,” White said of Diaz’s future with the company. “Listen, for a lot of these guys… there’s no secret about it. If you believe that you are one of the best in the world, and if you believe that you can win a world title here, or hang with the top five, then this is where you should be.
“The minute you start doubting that that’s the case, you gotta start looking at other options. There’s tons of other places where you can go fight and where you can make a lot of money. A lot of these guys, once they’ve built and established their name here, move on to these other promotions and make crazy money. And good for them. That’s just how it works.
“As far as Nate Diaz goes, I don’t know where Nate feels he is right now and what he feels his future could be if he signed another four or five-fight deal here.”
A fighter of Diaz’s profile would surely receive offers from elsewhere if he were available on the open market, but judging by White’s stance — Diaz may have to choose between elite competition, or more money at another promotion.
