"The UFC doesn't want to give him a top-five opponent" - Jake Shields weighs in on why Nate Diaz vs. Dustin Poirier is not happening

Jake Shields believes the UFC will deny Nate Diaz a shot at a top 5 ranked fighter in order to prevent him from jumping ship with a win against some of the biggest names in the promotion.

Diaz has been going back and forth with Dustin Poirier on social media in recent weeks. Both fighters have expressed an interest in fighting each other.

According Jake Shields, the UFC is blocking the fight from materializing. In an interview with Helen Yee, Shields said:

"I know Nate wants that fight. Like I said, he wants a top 5 opponent, but the UFC doesn't want to give him a top 5 opponent. They're trying to give him guys that aren't names because they don't want him to leave the UFC with a huge win like that. So hopefully they'll be able to come to some terms. I mean, the fans want it, Nate wants it, Poirier wants it, I want it. I think everyone wants to see that fight."

Watch Jake Shields' interview with Helen Yee below:

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Dana White open to a Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Diaz fight

Dana White recently admitted that he was more than happy to offer Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz an opportunity to lock horns inside the octagon. While in conversation with the media at the post-fight media scrum at UFC Fight Night 199, White said:

“If that’s a fight that they want and the fans want to see, we’ll do it."

Watch the entire post-fight press conference right here:

Since his loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269, Dustin Poirier has hinted at a move to the welterweight division. 'The Diamond' will be eager to bounce back and return to winning ways in 2022. It remains to be seen if he gets the fight with Nate Diaz or not.