Nate Diaz is one of the best UFC fighters to step inside the octagon. Despite never lifting the UFC title belt throughout his career, Diaz is still considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of this generation. Diaz retired from the UFC in 2022 after a victory over Tony Ferguson. He made a comeback the following year but not in the octagon— he chose to box Jake Paul inside the square ring.
Nate Diaz and Jake Paul boxed each other on August 5, 2023, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. In the 10-round boxing matchup, Paul got the better of Diaz, defeating the ex-UFC fighter via unanimous decision. It was rumored that Paul and Diaz would face each other once again but this time under MMA rules in the PFL.
Jake reportedly offered Diaz $10 million to fight in the PFL, but Diaz declined the offer. In a recent interview, Nick Diaz revealed that Jake Paul was the one to reject the offer for an MMA bout, saying, “I didn’t turn it down. He didn’t take my offer.”
"I didn't turn it down. He didn't take my offer."
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) April 17, 2024
Nate Diaz says it's Jake Paul who turned down his offer to fight in MMA, but if it happens, it won't be in the PFL 👀 pic.twitter.com/w0cNouDvdI
Nate reportedly earned $500,000, while Jake Paul bagged $2 million from their previous bout. The boxing match between Paul and Diaz was a spectacle and in the last round, Diaz hilariously tried to choke out Paul to entertain the fans. Following his fight with Paul, Diaz was reported to return to the UFC for a trilogy bout against Conor McGregor at UFC 300, but the fight never materialized.
Nate Diaz fires shots at fighters disrespecting his UFC legacy
Nate Diaz is arguably one of the most entertaining fighters the UFC has ever seen, despite not having a spectacular UFC record. However, this does not mean that Diaz should not get the respect he deserves.
In his UFC career, Diaz has defeated legends like Conor McGregor, Anthony Pettis, Tony Ferguson, and more. Besides that, Nate Diaz also fought Benson Henderson for the UFC lightweight belt. In a recent interview, Nate Diaz called out Justin Gaethje for disrespecting his UFC legacy.
“The disrespect for even saying my name—that’s crazy. I was here before all of the UFC fighters; I’ll be here long after,” Diaz said.
"The disrespect for even saying my name, that's crazy. I was here before all of the UFC fighters, I'll be here long after."
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) April 17, 2024
Nate Diaz talks about his time in the fight game, using Justin Gaethje of an example of somebody who "just got here" and is already "on the way out." pic.twitter.com/syx6BXPB11
Nate Diaz is going to box Jorge Masvidal next on June 1st at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. With Masvidal already boasting a win over Diaz, it would be interesting to see how the match unfolds.
