The pursuit of an enduring legacy is relentless, and Nate Diaz, despite his undeniable mark on combat sports, feels his story remains unfinished. We have not seen the Stockton native inside the cage since his victory over Tony Ferguson in 2022, as he parted with the UFC after that outing. His subsequent boxing run was a mixed bag, where he lost against Jake Paul but redeemed himself with a victory against former BMF champ Jorge Masvidal last year. Ever since then, the UFC icon has mostly been silent.
However, with a desire to cement himself as an all-time great, Diaz teased a return to UFC. Not only that, he raised questions over the company’s current roster, giving Dana White an ultimatum to elevate the welterweight division. Amid the brewing storm, the 39-year-old appears determined to settle another score, delivering a chilling warning to Jake Paul.
Nate Diaz wants to settle the score against Jake Paul
On Sunday, Filipino-American content creator Jessie Lunchbox shared a video on his Instagram featuring Nate Diaz alongside his friends. As ‘The Stockton Bad Boy’ was enjoying his time, Lunchbox asked, “Hey yo Nate, would you want that rematch with Jake? What would happen in the rematch?” Diaz immediately put his fists up and declared, “Beat his a–,” sending a clear warning to Jake Paul. The duo faced each other in a boxing ring in 2023, where ‘The Problem Child’ emerged victorious via a unanimous decision over 10 rounds. Since then, the duo has been involved in constant back-and-forth.
Last year, after confirming his MMA deal with PFL, Paul showed his willingness to fight Diaz again inside the cage, claiming Diaz was avoiding the fight. “We want to, but our opponents don’t actually. So, it’s funny, Nate Diaz is actually scared to fight me in MMA… The biggest payday of his life would be me and him in MMA… I’m ready,” he stated. Paul also offered a $15 million payday to the former UFC title challenger, but to no avail.
The jab didn’t sit well with Diaz, who fired back hours later, stating, “Sign the contract. Scary and not in 12 months from now and in a s—- organization Scary,” accepting the challenge. However, since then, there have been no discussions about the fight until now. The Stockton native is clearly gearing up for a defining final chapter. Beyond calling out Jake Paul, he has put the entire UFC roster on notice, declaring his ambition for a title opportunity.
A clear declaration to Dana White
In a recent interview with Full Violence, the 39-year-old declared his only intention on returning to UFC: to win a title, something he has never done before. “You’re not getting credit anyways, so you might as well keep that s–t going forever. That’s why I plan on fighting forever,” he stated. Diaz explained that his return is driven by more than just legacy. “So I’m trying to do other s–t for the moment, but I want to go back and get a UFC title. You know, I don’t want to fight for nothing, I want to fight for something,” he declared.
Diaz then went on to ridicule the entire roster, criticizing its lack of charisma. “Right now, there’s nobody that’s that entertaining. Who’s the champion right now at 170? See, exactly. That’s what I’m saying. Why would I go back to the UFC right now to fight [Belal Muhammad]? It’s about buzz and who’s popping and who’s doing something. Right now, there’s nobody doing s–t in the UFC. There’s f—-ng ‘Poatan’, and there was [Israel] Adesanya too, he’s still there but he’s not doing much right now… I’m watching, I’m hoping for something [exciting],” he stated.
So, with no worthy contenders in sight, Nate Diaz believes he would target the UFC gold. However, if he is looking for an interesting opponent, no one is more dynamic than Jake Paul. However, it remains to be seen whether El Gallo would accept his challenge, given that he is completely involved in boxing at the moment. Do you think we will see Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz inside the Octagon? Let us know your thoughts down below.
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