Nate Diaz has Conor McGregor’s again on this one.
“The Infamous” has come below fireplace in latest weeks after a toe damage led him to withdraw from a extremely anticipated UFC 303 most important occasion bout in opposition to Michael Chandler. Including to the frustration for MMA followers was the veil of secrecy surrounding the standing of the principle occasion after McGregor’s absence led to the cancellation of a press convention that was to happen in Dublin on June 3. It wasn’t till 10 days later that the UFC introduced McGregor vs. Chandler wouldn’t be taking place on the June 29 pay-per-view.
One of many voices that has spoken out in help of McGregor is Diaz, a longtime rival who has twice fought McGregor contained in the octagon. On the MightyCast podcast, Diaz informed Demetrious Johnson that the accidents McGregor handled in his most up-to-date struggle possible knowledgeable his choice to again out of the Chandler struggle.
“That’s expertise, he was f*cked up when he fought his final struggle and I’ve been f*cked up in hella fights,” Diaz mentioned. “I don’t wish to cry about it afterwards as a result of your ass shouldn’t have got here to the struggle if you happen to have been f*cked up, that’s how I give it some thought. … Shouldn’t have proven up and bought your ass whooped, you continue to bought your ass whooped.
“So I’m like, from the inexperience angle, all of the persons are f*cking speaking shit however he doesn’t give a f*ck and I felt the identical manner. The present bought pushed again, it didn’t get cancelled. He bossed up on that shit, they need to struggle in a number of months after which everybody criticizing him for pulling out, he didn’t pull out, they pushed again.”
McGregor has not fought since July 2021 at UFC 264, the place he broke his leg within the first spherical of a trilogy bout in opposition to Dustin Poirier. The damage has saved McGregor on the shelf for the higher a part of the final three years.
The truth that McGregor’s star energy offers him loads of leverage in the case of probably re-booking the Chandler struggle is one cause why Diaz feels he was clever to withdraw from UFC 303.
“That’s how I felt once I fought Leon Edwards,” Diaz mentioned. “I used to be coaching so good for that struggle and two weeks earlier than I bought minimize on my chin and my eye, I needed to cancel—I used to be wired like, ‘F*ck, I ain’t attempting to cancel this struggle, it’s in two weeks although’ and I’m f*cking break up. I’m like, ‘That f*cking sucks’ and I wired for about 10, 20 minutes, like, ‘Bro, I ain’t pulling out of the struggle.’ I’ll simply get stitched up, I’ll go struggle this motherf*cker or no matter, it was simply sort of hectic for a minute. I used to be like, ‘F*ck that, name the UFC and inform them to push it to Arizona.’ A month later, inform them to push it to that. I can’t exit like this, I’m going to lose, f*cking proper off the bat this shit will break up open.
“So that they name these motherf*ckers and so they hit my man again and have been like, ‘So what’s up? He simply doesn’t wish to struggle or what?’ And we’re similar to, ‘No, he simply bought minimize. He needs to push it to the following present.’ They usually pushed it to the following present. I used to be like, thank God, as a result of I didn’t wish to be pulling out of no struggle.”
It stays to be seen if McGregor vs. Chandler ever occurs, with each fighters seemingly open to the chance whereas additionally staying non-committal as to when the matchup is perhaps rescheduled.
It doesn’t matter what McGregor’s subsequent transfer is, Diaz thinks that individuals haven’t any proper to criticize how McGregor has chosen to take care of his accidents.
“So now earlier than you simply leap to conclusions and begin being like, ‘He’s damage, f*cking p*ssy,’ it’s like, ‘Bro, he misplaced his final struggle as a result of he went in there like a G and he was damage and he f*cked himself up,’” Diaz mentioned. “That being [said], he shouldn’t have confirmed up [at UFC 264] although. Now he is aware of.
“Folks have been like, ‘Effectively…’ Why don’t you shut up and sit down?”
As for his personal historical past with McGregor, Diaz is aware of {that a} trilogy bout between them goes to be a subject of dialog till considered one of them hangs up the gloves for good. Diaz handed McGregor his first loss contained in the octagon when he submitted McGregor at UFC 196, then dropped a majority choice in an exhilarating five-round rematch at UFC 202. Each occasions rank among the many most profitable pay-per-views in UFC historical past.
Diaz’s personal historical past of pre-fight accidents is one cause why he’s sure that he and McGregor will run it again yet one more time.
“I f*cking ripped the cartilage in my rib [ahead of UFC 202], I can’t even struggle this motherf*cker,” Diaz mentioned. “F*ck that, I’m not not going, I f*cked that shit. I used to be f*cked up in that struggle. Yeah, we’re combating a 3rd time. The second wasn’t truthful. Hell yeah, and I nonetheless f*cking bought one too.”
“That’s 100%,” he added. “I’m combating all these motherf*ckers once more in the event that they don’t fall off and retire.
