Nate Diaz has revealed why he turned down a lucrative offer from the UFC to fight Conor McGregor, opting instead to compete on Jake Paul's MVP fight card. The former UFC star will face Mike Perry on 16 May in a mixed martial arts bout promoted by Paul's organisation.
Diaz, who has not fought in the UFC since submitting Tony Ferguson in 2022, said he was offered a trilogy fight with McGregor but was unenthusiastic about the prospect. Instead, he wanted to challenge Charles Oliveira for the 'Baddest Motherf***er' (BMF) title, a belt Diaz originally created during his UFC tenure.
“I believe they wanted me to come back and fight Conor McGregor, not Oliveira,” Diaz said. “I’m going to fight for my belt that I created... That’s my belt you’re wearing around your hips.” He added that the offer to fight Perry was nearly as lucrative as the McGregor proposal, and he was more motivated to face a dangerous opponent like Perry.
Since leaving the UFC, Diaz has boxed both Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal, losing to Paul but avenging his earlier loss to Masvidal. He insists he is not working for MVP but rather for his own company, Real Fight Incorporated, and is targeting a future rematch with Paul.
“I’m not working for MVP like all these motherf***ers are. I’m a UFC fighter, I’m working for me and I’m hunting Jake Paul’s motherf***ing a**,” Diaz said.
