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Almost every legendary figure in modern MMA has passed through the UFC's cage doors, but not every great fighter was good enough to win the sport's ultimate prize. Current UFC welterweight Nate Diaz, is one of them.
Nate Diaz is one of the most popular fighters in the UFC, but he is yet to wear a title belt. The closest the Stockton native came was a lightweight title bout against Benson Henderson in 2012 where Diaz lost the match via unanimous decision.
Henderson dominated all five rounds, as 'Smooth' landed 124 significant strikes, while Diaz landed a meager 30. Henderson also executed 8 of 12 takedowns while defending everything Diaz threw at him, even scoring a knockdown in the third round.
While he never regained title contention, Diaz did participate in the symbolic 'BMF' title fight against Jorge Masvidal in 2019. The Stockton native came up short in that bout as well, losing via doctor's stoppage after the third round.
While not title bouts, Diaz also participated in two of the largest fights in UFC history.
It all started with Diaz accepting a short notice fight after Rafael Dos Anjos fell out of the UFC 196 main event. Diaz faced Conor McGregor in a welterweight fight in March 2016, and he stunned the world by submitting the superstar in the second round.
Dana White talks about a Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz trilogy fight in 2022
Dana White has stated that he is open to booking Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz's long-awaited trilogy fight in 2022. Both men are desperate for a big win after falling short in their most recent bouts.
Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor's two fights took place in 2016. Diaz defeated the Irishman in the second round at UFC 196 via submission. But when they fought again five months later, it was Conor McGregor who had his hand raised after winning by majority decision.
In his most recent appearance with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto, Dana White spoke about what was next for Nate Diaz. During the conversation, when asked about his thoughts on the trilogy bout between Diaz and McGregor, the UFC president said:
"Always there. Yeah, that fight could happen. You could make that fight. There are a lot of fights you could make for Nate Diaz, but Nate Diaz has to want that fight," said Dana White.
Further, responding to questions about the next sensible fight for Nate Diaz, the UFC president said:
"This is a tricky question because I don't wanna sit here and act like, oh well, Nate Diaz turned this fight down and that fight down. I don't want to get into all that BS. I say this to you guys all the time, I'm in the fight business, I make fights. That's what I do. And, by contract, I have to offer these guys three fights a year. And they can say yes or no. So, you know, we're working it out," said Dana White.
Check out the full interview with ESPN MMA below:
