Nate Diaz wants to give it one more run in the UFC to chase gold.
Diaz (21-13 MMA, 16-11 UFC) walked away from the promotion after a submission victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September 2022 to open himself to other opportunities away from the Las Vegas-based MMA promotion.
After leaving the fight promotion he called home for nearly 15 years, Diaz produced mixed results in the boxing ring, losing a unanimous decision to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in August 2023 and winning a majority nod against fellow UFC veteran Jorge Masvidal in July 2024.
Now, Diaz wants to return to the UFC because he doesn’t view his legacy with the promotion as complete, even though he believes very few can compare.
“The legacy – I don’t think about it as done,” Diaz said in a video posted to the Full Violence YouTube channel. “… I think it’s underrated, and I think there’s like f*cking – I think I left more of an impact than a lot of these f*cking, anybody has, really. I mean, Conor (McGregor) has in a way, and then you get like, my brother did – but all that sh*t gets forgotten about too. It can go away because you ain’t getting credit to begin with anyway. You might as well keep that sh*t going forever. That’s why I plan on fighting forever.”
Diaz has been a fan-favorite ever since Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2007. His fight style and persona, along with his brother Nick, created a cult-like following in the MMA world. The Diaz Brothers were a different breed, and generated elevated of interest in their fights, no matter the results.
That’s something Diaz believes he would bring back to the table on one last chase for gold, if that opportunity comes. He believes the current roster is lacking transcendent star power.
“Well, everybody’s boring right now, so I’m trying to do other sh*t for the moment,” Diaz said. “But like, I want to go back and get a UFC title. I don’t want to fight for nothing, you know? I want to fight for something. … It’s about buzz and who’s poppin’ and who’s doing something. Right now, there’s nobody doing sh*t in the UFC.”
If Diaz were to get a call to come back to the UFC, he knows he wants to return at welterweight, but isn’t sure who he would match up against.
“Nobody,” Diaz said. “That’s why I’m not in there right now, you know what I’m saying? I’m watching. I’m hoping for something. … There’s no buzz, nobody’s doing sh*t. There’s nobody to fight, everybody is wack. Every single body in boxing and MMA.”
