Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: UFC, MMA, Boxing, Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson
Ryan Sidle
Topics: UFC, MMA, Boxing, Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson
Nate Diaz took one final swipe at former two time opponent Conor McGregor, following a win in the last fight on his UFC contract.
Diaz was due to take on Khamzat Chimaev in his final fight in the promotion, at UFC 279 on Saturday night, in a clash in which he would have been the underdog.
However, Chimaev missed weight by a long way on Friday, due to doctor's order, and the UFC quickly rearranged the card for Diaz to face Tony Ferguson.
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In a fight between a man who'd lost his previous two fights and one who's record since May 2020 was 0-4, the two had a typically high intensity fight.
It was the Stockton man who came out on top, making his new opponent tap out to a guillotine choke in the fourth round, giving him the perfect way to bow out in the last fight on his current deal.
In the press conference after the fight, the 37-year-old said he was going to move to another sport and hinted it would be boxing, whilst taking aim at McGregor's own failed attempt at the sport.
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"I want to get out of the UFC for a minute and show all these fighters how to take over and own up another sport how you’re supposed to do it because Conor McGregor didn’t know how to do it," Diaz, who is 1-1 with the Irishman, said.
"None of these other fighters know how to do it. So I’m going to go out there and I’m going take over another profession and become the best at that.
"Show everybody I’m the best at that and then I’m going to be right the f*** back here to get a motherf****** UFC title. The best title in the world."
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McGregor took on Floyd Mayweather back in 2017 to no avail and other MMA fighters have since moved over into boxing, often to face Jake Paul.
It's likely that if Diaz wanted it, a fight with the YouTuber would be right up Paul's street, having already beaten non boxers Nate Robinson, Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley.
The 25-year-old's next fight is also against a former UFC star, legendary Brazilian Anderson Silva, often considered the greatest UFC fighter of all time.
Whilst he is best known for his MMA career, the 47-year-old has at least been in the ring before, beating Tito Ortiz and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
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On his way out of UFC, for now at least, Diaz said he loved the sport and thanked Dana White, "All I know it’s been a love-hate relationship with me and the UFC the whole time I’ve been in this organisation but at the end of the day, I love the UFC.
"Shout out to Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and Hunter Campbell for giving me the opportunities and the platform for the whole time, for everybody and for myself."
Most UFC fans will be disappointed that they never got to see the Stockton slugger fight McGregor one more time, after the two shared the octagon in two instant classics in 2017.
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Diaz inflicted the former two weight champion's first loss in the promotion, as a very late replacement, before McGregor got revenge a few months later.