Nate: As of now, I’m not fighting in 2017

Nate Diaz was half of two of the biggest pay per view television mixed martial arts events in history. And after a career of miserly purses, he was finally compensated handsomely. During a special Wednesday edition of Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Diaz talked about what’s next.

I think they are trying to bring [myself and brother Nick] back in, but everybody’s starting rumors, trying to put the pressure on us, said Diaz, as transcribed by Ken Pishna for MMAWeekly. The pressure is not going to get to me. If you want me to fight somebody, all you have to do is call me and ask.

The UFC offered him fights with Eddie Alvarez and Tony Ferguson, but Diaz felt the compensation was inadequate.

I just laughed at them,” he said. “Get the f*** out of here. Call me with some real s***.”

Diaz said he “gladly accepted” a fight with Ferguson at UFC 213 in July,” and when the money wasn’t right, it was “gladly rejected.”

I plan on sitting out this year, and, as of right now, there’s nothing going on, and I’m not fighting nobody.”

I’m not gonna accept the fight just because it’s the best move for him, Conor, and their managers.

I’m at the point, I don’t need to fight. I’ve got a serious competitive [triathlon] race season going on right now. That’s what I’ve been fighting for years for, so that I can do whatever the f*** I want.

Isn’t that what we’re all gunning for? Doing what we want to do?

A look at the history of Diaz’s compensation provides a window on his attitude.

A decade ago, on June 23, 2007, he won The Ultimate Fighter 5, which came with a six-figure contract. He assumed he was rich. However, the contract was for multiple fights, and could take years to hit $100,000. He was 22 years old.

Five years late on on April 20, 2013, Diaz fought Josh Thompson, and lost, earning a disclosed purse of just $15,000. There was undoubtedly a locker room bonus, but he wasn’t getting rich. When you lose in the UFC, your contracted pay stays the same. Next fight was a win over Gray Maynard. Diaz’s contract paid him $30,000.

Then the UFC signed his Cesar Gracie teammate Gil Melendez after a bidding war with Bellator. Gil’s contract guaranteed 75% of his fights would be on PPV, with a threshhold lower than any fighter in league history. El Nino’s show money his very first fight was $175,000. Melendez won only one of his five fights since, a decision over Diego Sanchez.

Diaz apparently learned what his teammate was making, and asked to be released from contract. At one point he was even pulled from the UFC rankings.

Diaz finally fought again, vs. Rafael Dos Anjos. His contracted income had now escalated to $20,000 to show and $20,000 to win. Diaz lost, and was fined 20% of his purse for missing weight, so made $16,000. That was his only fight in 2014. He was 29 years old.

The next year Diaz beat Michael Johnson in a Fight of the Night, making him 20+20+50. $90,000 seems like a lot of money, but it was his only fight in 2015, and you have to back out management and trainer percentages, taxes, other training expenses, and more.

He was now 30. His older brother Nick lamented every getting him into fighting.

Then Nate was on a boat in Cabo, doing a tequila shot, when he got a phone call. Do you want to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 196, a week from Saturday?

Nate did, and won, and UFC president Dana White said he made over $2,000,000 for what was then reportedly the biggest PPV in league history. Diaz’s team negotiated hard for the rematch at UFC 202, which too was one of the biggest PPVs ever. Diaz lost a controversial majority decision, but reportedly made much more than $2,000,000.

So in 2014 Diaz grossed $16,000 in fight purses. In 2015 he grossed $90,000. In 2016, he grossed over $5,000,000.

With Conor McGregor interested only in a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, a trilogy fight with Diaz may be the sole fight Notorious is interested in. That will make millions. So if the UFC wants Nate Diaz in the Octagon, it’s going to take more than his 2014 and 2015 money.