Nate Diaz has been backed to command a huge purse from a fight with Jake Paul - even if he loses his final bout in the UFC.
Diaz, 37, competes in the last fight of his UFC contract next month when he takes on top welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279. Diaz is one of the longest-serving fighters on the UFC roster, making his debut 15 years ago when he won season five of The Ultimate Fighter.
The UFC veteran was trying to book a fight for several months before the promotion matched him against Chimaev, who is unbeaten in 11 professional fights. And former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson thinks even if Diaz loses in the final fight of his contract against Chimaev, he will be able to push for a fight with YouTube star Paul and secure himself a big payday.
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"Regardless of what he does, if he loses he can angle for a fight with Jake Paul and make more money than he will in the UFC, or he can go to bare-knuckle fighting," Johnson said on The MMA Hour. "There's opportunities for athletes to go out there and make money, if they have a good name."
Diaz was recently told that he would be a "great fit" for bare-knuckle boxing by BKFC president David Feldman, who admitted he would be interested in signing the UFC star after he fights out of his contract. Former UFC welterweight turned BKFC fighter Mike Perry, who competes in London this Saturday, also told Mirror Fighting he would be open to facing Diaz in the ring.
Paul has made multiple offers to fight Diaz, but has been unable to secure the fight due to the Stockton native still being under UFC contract. Dana White insists Diaz has told him he wouldn't fight Paul, as the UFC boss told Yahoo Sports : “He said, ‘I would never do that.’ That’s what he said to me. He said, ‘That s***’s goofy.’ I don’t know. That’s what he said to me.” White's comments were contradicted by Diaz claiming he is "interested in anything" when asked about a potential fight with Paul.
Diaz hasn't fought in the UFC since losing to Leon Edwards last June, reportedly taking home a seven-figure payday for the fight. The 37-year-old, who is just weeks away from becoming a free agent, has struggled to fully capitalise on his name value following his career-defining submission win against Conor McGregor at UFC 196 in 2016.
