Nate Diaz hasn’t been seen inside the octagon since dropping a decision to UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor at UFC 202.
The Stockton native was offered a fight against Tony Ferguson at UFC 213, but after accepting the fight, changed his mind because he didn’t want to do the champion's dirty work.
“I gladly accepted (the Ferguson fight), and then it was gladly rejected because of circumstances,” Diaz said on The MMA Hour. “Sure, I will fight him, but under these circumstances, you know what I’m saying? Then I was ignored, and the rumors went on. So I said, ‘Why are the rumors still going if it’s not popping?’ And then I thought about it: Why am I going to do Conor McGregor’s (expletive) work for him? No, fight each other (expletives), and then you get a shot at the golden child right here (expletive). What are you going to do? You’re going to take time off to make $1 million to fight Mayweather, and I’m going to do your dirty work for you?”
Diaz also revealed in the same interview on The MMA Hour that he would not be competing at all in 2017, and the same goes for brother Nick.
Another reason that Diaz changed his mind for UFC 213 is that he felt the money offered for the fight wasn’t worth it in the end.
“I said, ‘Right now, I’m in race season, but if you want to pull me out of race season, yeah, let’s do it,'” Diaz said. “But you’re going to have to reach my number. And my numbers are already good. I’m not waiting for no Conor McGregor, because my numbers are already good. No matter who I fight, I’m getting paid. But I have hella money. I don’t mean to brag about it and be a cocky (expletive) … if you don’t step up your game and get your money, you’re (expletive) up. I said if you want me to come out of season, it’s going to cost.”
Although an exact asking price wasn’t revealed by Diaz, but the fighter earned $2 million for his aforementioned fight with McGregor at UFC 202.
