Love triangles are too mainstream—so enter the latest UFC feud, featuring Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier, and Paddy Pimblett. The three fighters seem eager to trade blows, with Diaz recently calling out ‘The Diamond’ for refusing to fight Pimblett in what could be his retirement bout. Poirier, fresh off a tough loss to lightweight king Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, admitted he’s nearing the end of his career. With his legacy already cemented, ‘The Diamond’ is eyeing one final showdown against a high-profile opponent before hanging up his gloves.
The Schmo recently interviewed Poirier before a Celebrity Sweat football game during Super Bowl LIX week. The former interim champ couldn’t spill the beans on plans for his retirement fight, but he did drop a probable timeframe. “I’ve actually been having calls every week with the UFC, but it’s looking like summer in New Orleans is close to happening for my retirement fight. My pay-per-view in New Orleans this summer would be incredible. That’s what I’m pushing for, that’s what the UFC’s working towards and things are getting pretty close.”
However, when the prospect of facing the Englishman floated, Poirier shut down the idea, insisting his last fight should be against a fellow veteran rather than an up-and-coming prospect. “Nah, it’s a hundred percent, not Paddy Pimblett,” Poirier told Front Office Sports. “Legends only. I’m not gonna retire fighting a type of guy like Paddy Pimblett.”
Nate Diaz, never one to hold back, blasted Poirier on social media for dismissing the matchup. “Fight Paddy p—-, he better than you,” Diaz posted on his Instagram story, stirring the pot even further. Weighing in on the situation, MMA analysts Josh Thomson and John McCarthy discussed Diaz’s involvement, suggesting it might be a strategic move to secure a fight with Poirier himself.
“I do think that Nate looks at Dustin Poirier as, ‘Hey, if I can stir this up and get a fight against you, I would like to do that,”‘ McCarthy said. Thomson added, “I don’t even think Nate would wanna make 170 lbs.” McCarthy then posed an interesting question: “Would you book a fight between Dustin Poirier and Nate?” Without hesitation, Thomson responded, “Absolutely.”
John McCarthy praised Nate Diaz for inserting himself into the growing tension between Paddy Pimblett and Dustin Poirier. “For Nate to inject himself, I understand why—it’s a smart move,” McCarthy said. “And for Dustin, looking at it and saying that fighting against Paddy doesn’t make sense—it doesn’t. No disrespect to Paddy. Paddy is on his way up, he is doing great.”
While ‘The Diamond’ is focused on going out in style, Diaz stirred the pot with his Instagram post, which Paddy Pimblett later shared. Pimblett even called Diaz a “real G” while referencing how Poirier fought Benoit Saint-Denis when the Frenchman was ranked #12. Poirier quickly fired back, accusing both Diaz and Pimblett of using his name to make headlines. The former interim champ said, “You guys will try to attach your name to anything for clout and clicks, but guess what… It’s Legends Only!”
For those unaware, one of the biggest “what if” fights in Dustin Poirier’s storied UFC career was a long-awaited clash with Nate Diaz. The two were originally set to face off at UFC 230 in 2018, but the bout never materialized. Since then, tensions have lingered between ‘The Diamond’ and the former BMF title challenger, leaving fans to wonder what could have been.
Meanwhile, Diaz remains a hot topic in discussions about UFC veterans making comebacks. When asked about returning to the Octagon, he kept things open-ended, saying: “The thing that interests me in the UFC would be just somebody who’s doing something good.” Diaz officially retired in 2022, but with all the buzz surrounding his name, is he quietly setting the stage for a return?
Is Nate Diaz plotting his UFC return?
“There are not a lot of names in the UFC right now, but I feel like they’re coming. There’s nobody [that stands out for me],” Nate Diaz told MMA Knockout in September 2024. Since retiring from the UFC, Diaz has tested the waters in boxing, going 1-1 in the ring. He suffered a loss to Jake Paul but secured a victory against Jorge Masvidal. While there’s no official confirmation of his UFC return, a recent revelation from an insider suggests that Stockton’s favorite son might have a pathway back.
Speaking to Daniel Cormier on the Good Guy/Bad Guy show, Chael Sonnen highlighted the lingering rivalry between Poirier and Diaz, suggesting it could lead to a fight inside the Octagon. Sonnen made his case, urging Poirier to consider the matchup: “Dustin, who stuck around so long and given so many different guys an opportunity, to try to be the one to win—yes, I would love it if he and Nate Diaz fought.”
LAS VEGAS, NV – AUGUST 19: Mixed martial artist Nate Diaz poses on the scale during his weigh-in for UFC 202 at MGM Grand Conference Center on August 19, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada. McGregor will meet UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor in a welterweight rematch on August 20, 2016, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Sonnen also hinted that Diaz is interested in a UFC return, recalling a conversation he had with the former TUF winner. “I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t know if that meant they didn’t know yet, but I said, ‘Why don’t you come out to The Ultimate Fighter? I’m doing this thing. Let’s have them all in the room.’ Nate said, ‘Yeah, give me some dates.’ So somewhere, I was kind of missing something.”
Now, with Diaz inserting himself into the ongoing Pimblett vs. Poirier conversation, could this be his way back to the UFC? What do you think—will we see Nate Diaz inside the Octagon again? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Nate Diaz Advised to Make ‘Smart Move’ After Dustin Poirier Calls for ‘Legends Only’ Last Dance Before Retiring From UFC appeared first on EssentiallySports.