Nate Diaz: I’ll see you around May, June
Nate Diaz: “SICK OF SITTING AROUND WAITING FOR YOU F@$%ERS TO DO $#!@ THERE’S NO EXCITEMENT IN THIS FIGHT $#!@ STEP YOUR GAMES UP.”
UFC welterweight Nate Diaz hasn’t fought since dropping a Majority Decision to Conor McGregor at UFC 202 on August 20, 2016. However, the break appears to be coming to a close.
Hallelujah.
The first indication came earlier this month, but had a degree of ambiguity.
Then he posted a far clearer indication that he intends to fight, and included a May-June date.
Lightweights Eddie Alvarez (ranked #3) and Kevin Lee (ranked #7) responded quickly.
https://twitter.com/Ealvarezfight/status/956003429410844672https://twitter.com/MoTownPhenom/status/956004498459131904
Diaz has had a long, strange financial trip through the sport.
On June 23, 2007, he won The Ultimate Fighter 5, which came with a six-figure contract. He thought he was rich. However, the contract was for multiple fights, and could take years to hit $100,000. He was 22 years old.
On April 20, 2013, Diaz fought Josh Thompson, and lost, earning a disclosed purse of just $15,000. There was undoubtedly a locker room bonus, but he wasn’t getting rich. When you lose in the UFC, your contracted pay stays the same. Next fight was a win over Gray Maynard. Diaz’s contract paid him $30,000.
Then the UFC signed his Cesar Gracie teammate Gil Melendez after a bidding war with Bellator. Gil’s contract guaranteed 75% of his fights would be on PPV, with a threshhold lower than any fighter in league history. El Nino’s show money his very first fight was $175,000. Melendez won only one of his five fights since, a decision over Diego Sanchez.
Diaz apparently learned what his teammate was making, and asked to be released from his contract by the UFC. At one point he was even pulled from the rankings.
Diaz finally fought again, vs. Rafael Dos Anjos. His contracted income had now escalated to $20,000 to show and $20,000 to win. Diaz lost, and was fined 20% of his purse for missing weight, so made $16,000. That was his only fight in 2014. He was 29 years old.
The next year Diaz beat Michael Johnson in a Fight of the Night, making him 20+20+50. $90,000 seems like a lot of money, but it was his only fight in 2015, and you have to back out management and trainer percentages, taxes, other training expenses, and more.
He was now 30. His older brother Nick lamented every getting him into fighting.
Then Nate was on a boat in Cabo, doing a tequila shot, when he got a phone call. Do you want to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 196, a week from Saturday?
Nate did, and won, and UFC president Dana White said he made over $2,000,000 for what was then reportedly the biggest PPV in league history. Diaz’s team negotiated hard for the rematch at UFC 202, which too was one of the biggest PPVs ever. Diaz lost a controversial majority decision, but reportedly made much more than $2,000,000.
Last year in a text message to Ariel Helwani, Diaz named the conditions for a return.
I’m only fighting at lightweight for a big fight or 20 million just to take the call, wrote Diaz. Until then, I’m just living my life.
$20 million isn’t real likely, so hopefully Diaz is getting the big fight he wants and deserves. A trilogy fight with Conor McGregor would be nice.