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Nate Diaz has officially been removed from the UFC roster despite beating Tony Ferguson in his final bout within the organization. Diaz was originally meant to take on Khamzat Chimaev, but due to missing weight, the Swedish-based fighter was removed from the main event.
Diaz defeated Ferguson after four rounds of fighting at UFC 279, with the Stockton-born fighter submitting 'El Cucuy' via guillotine choke. '209' was on a two-fight losing streak before taking on Ferguson, with Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal both beating the American via stoppage.
Masvidal managed to secure the 'BMF' belt after beating Nate Diaz at UFC 244. The bout was halted after three rounds of fighting, with Diaz suffering a cut during the contest with the doctor deemed too dangerous for the fighter to continue.
Watch Masvidal defeat Diaz for the 'BMF' belt here:
Nate Diaz never won an official UFC belt, despite the Stockton-born fighter being one of the biggest names in combat sports. The American is now also a free agent after being officially removed from the UFC roster, but it's currently unknown who or where Diaz will fight next.
'209' can look back at a successful UFC career despite never lifting gold in the organization. Diaz left the organization with a record of 16-11, beating the likes of Conor McGregor, Donald Cerrone, and Tony Ferguson during his long career.
When did Nate Diaz make his professional MMA debut?
Diaz has only one of the longest careers in MMA among the current fighters in the combat sports world. The Stockton-born fighter started his career back in 2004, beating Alejandro Garcia at WEC 12: Halloween Fury 3.
However, his second professional MMA bout didn't go as well, losing to Koji Oishi at Pancrase 152 via unanimous decision. Diaz suffered his second defeat against Hermes Franca at WEC 24: Full Force, with Franca submitting Diaz in round two.
The loss didn't hold Diaz back though. The American beat Manny Gamburyan in the Ultimate Fighter Finale after getting the better of Rob Emerson, Corey Hill, and Gray Maynard earlier in the competition.
Watch some of Diaz's most memorable moments from the Ultimate Fighter here:
Nate Diaz recently left the UFC roster, so it'll be interesting to see if the American will continue to fight under MMA rules or make a switch to boxing. Diaz was just 19 years old upon making his professional MMA debut, meaning if the Stockton-born fighter does walk away from the sport, he will likely have very few regrets.
