Nate Diaz applying for a boxing license in Nevada

The great Nate Diaz was long among the hardcore fanbase’s most popular fighters, but he wasn’t compensated like it. The below figures do not include locker room bonuses, but they illustrate a trend.

April 20, 2013: Lost to Josh Thompson, disclosed show money was $15,000.
November 30, 2013: Beat Gray Maynard for $30,000, making his year total $45,000.
December 13, 2014: Lost to Rafael dos Anjos for $20,000 in his only fight of the year. Fined 20% of his purse for missing weight, reducing his show money to $16,000.
December 19, 2015: Beat Michael Johnson in a Fight of the Night in his only fight of the year, making him 20+20+50 = $90,000.

2016 was the year MMA treated Nate Diaz right, at last. He was on a boat in Cabo, doing a tequila shot, when he got a phone call. Do you want to fight Conor McGregor? It’s a week from Saturday.

Nate fought and won, and UFC president Dana White said he made over $2,000,000 for what was reportedly the biggest PPV in league history. Diaz’s team negotiated right for the rematch, which too was one of the biggest PPVs ever. Diaz lost a controversial majority decision but reportedly made $3,000,000 at UFC 202.

So his year totals went …
2013: $45,000
2014: $16,000
2015: $90,000
2016: $5,000,000

So what’s a fighter do after that? Brett Okamoto for ESPN reports that Diaz is applying for a boxing license in Nevada. In order to do so, he has paid a $50,000 fine for playing frisbee with Conor McGregor using a water bottle.

“Nate paid his fine and has requested a boxing license,” said NSAC executive director Bob Bennett. “Upon his submission of the required licensing information, we expect to approve his license as of this date. We welcome Nate and his older brother, Nick, to fight in Las Vegas, whether it’s with the UFC or a boxing promoter.”

Boxing promoter and athlete Floyd Mayweather Jr. discussed the situation with Okamoto.

“When I talked to Nate Diaz, he told me [the UFC] had put him on the shelf,” said Mayweather. “He said, ‘Since the second fight with Conor McGregor, they put me on the shelf. I’m ready to stay busy, stay active.’

“Nate Diaz even talked to me about coming to box.”

Diaz’s UFC contract prohibits prizefighting, but it can be waived by UFC president Dana White. Diaz is now the second UFC fighter who applied for a boxing license; the other is Conor McGregor. A boxing match between them would be compelling, and a warm up for a match with Mayweather.