Diaz wants Poirier fight ‘now’, trying to ‘get out of this fight game’
Poirier recently suggested that he’d like to take the younger Diaz on sometime this summer, but that may not be soon enough to meet Cesar Gracie disciple’s plans.
The UFC has a bit of a big-fight triangle brewing in their welterweight division. Conor McGregor has been adamant that he wants to fight Dustin Poirier for a fourth time, and the UFC has been happy to back him up on that idea. But Poirier says he has no interest in fighting the former double champ and sounds, instead, like he wants to make his welterweight debut against Nate Diaz sometime this summer.
And while Diaz doesn’t sound averse to the idea of taking on the ‘Diamond’, it seems his priorities lie firmly with getting a bout booked as soon as possible, so he can wrap up his UFC contract. Speaking to reporters at Shaq’s Fun House Super Bowl Rave, Diaz talked about his where he’s at with his MMA career right now.
“I would like to fight Dustin Poirier. Like now,” Diaz told TMZ (transcript via MMAMania). “Like I’ve been trying to.
“If there’s any mix-up it’s him, and them, and the game,” he added. “I want the fight now. What’s up Dana White? Let’s get this retirement fight cracking so I can get out of this fight game. I’m done with it.”
Diaz last competed against Leon Edwards at UFC 263, back in June of last year—dropping that bout via unanimous decision. Over the past several months, however, he’s become one of the principal names of interest as a future boxing opponent for celebrity pugilist Jake Paul.
If the recent war of words between Paul and UFC president Dana White is anything to go by, however, Diaz will have to be well clear of his ties to the world’s largest MMA promotion before he can step inside the ring. And that won’t happen until he gets the final fight on his contract out of the way.