Kevin Lee returns to action next month at UFC Fight Night Atlantic City, where he headlines the card against Edson Barboza.
The lightweight says a bout with Diaz was offered to the Stockton native, but the fighter turned the opportunity down.
“The Nate Diaz fight was there,” Lee said backstage at UFC 222. “I thought it would have been a good fight. I would have wanted to take that one. Nate’s a tough fighter, and a lot of people are real high on him. But the man doesn’t want to fight.”
Diaz hasn’t been in action since UFC 202, where he suffered a decision loss to UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor.
Lee would’ve also liked a bout with former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez, whom the competitor refers to as easy money.
“I’m not a bully,” he said. “If somebody doesn’t want to fight, I’m not going to bother you too much. I’m not going to talk much (expletive) about people that aren’t going to get me where I’m going. So I like a challenge, and Barboza was the biggest challenge out there right now. It was either Barboza or (Eddie) Alvarez. Eddie, that’s easy money. I like a challenge.”
UFC Fight Night Atlantic City takes place on Saturday, April 21 from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey with Kevin Lee and Edson Barboza headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on Fox Sports 1.
