Nate Diaz: Why I’ll fight whenever the f@$% I want to fight

The great Nate Diaz appeared recently on Stockton, California rapper Okwerdz‘ Outside The Box podcast and responded to critics who say he has not been very active over the past few years.

“Hold up,” explained Nate. “I’m not fighting, because I am a fighter. You’re fighting because someone is telling you to fight. I’ll fight whenever the f*** I want to fight. That’s because I’m a G, nigga, I’m a fighter myself. I ain’t trying to do what nobody says, I’ll do what I say. And I will fight when I’m approached respectably.”

After years in the bloody trenches for unconscionably low purses, Diaz finally made low millions for the first fight with McGregor, and more low millions for the rematch.

“Things change when you don’t need to fight,” he said. “I’ve already been fighting too long. I don’t need to fight nobody. I’ll fight anybody. But I don’t need to fight anybody. And the fighters who are like, ‘He’s not a fighter’ sounds like you are being manipulated into trying to manipulate me. Guess what – you work for somebody, I work for me.”

The history of Nate’s purses is sobering.

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

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.

And now he doesn’t need to fight. But he’ll fight is approach respectably. Diaz is now 32 and has been fighting professionally for over 13 years. He has millions and if he never fights again, that’s great. And if the UFC approaches his respectably, that’s great too. It’s a story with a happy ending in a sport that is short of them.

Diaz and Okwerds also cover:
The first Conor fight;
•The possibility of a trilogy fight;
•Conor vs. Mayweather;
•Stories of the Gracies, Jean Claude Van Damme, Mike Tyson, and the UFC;
•His impact on The 209;
•The top 5 MMA G.O.A.T. list;
•Teaching kids, diet, workout routines and a lot more.

Check out the audio on iTunes.