Nate Diaz

MMA's pound-for-pound kingpin is still not feeling the love.

Even as Kamaru Usman (20-1) prepares for his sixth consecutive title defense Saturday at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the welterweight champion continues to feel that some people in the fighting world aren't giving him his flowers.

You have to think that anyone who's objectively followed his career would surrender those flowers willingly. His wrestling, fight IQ, measured aggression, striking power, toughness and stamina all are time-tested capabilities, delivering a perfect 15-0 record under the UFC banner and a three-plus-year title reign. They haven't all been easy victories or flawless performances, but his dominance is inarguable.

Saturday will see Usman participate in a rematch of a 2015 deep-undercard contest with Leon Edwards (19-3 [1 NC]), which Usman won by unanimous decision.

Though a heavy underdog in this fight—he’s +295 per DraftKings as of Thursday—Edwards has a 10-fight unbeaten streak dating back to, you guessed it, his loss to Usman. Most recently, he staved off a dramatic late charge from Nate Diaz to secure the biggest win of his career.

Earlier this week, I spoke with Usman in a 1-on-1 interview. We talked about a variety of topics, including Edwards, boxing Jake Paul, his bond with two other reigning UFC champions, and, yes, that Rodney Dangerfield complex.

The original bout between you two happened almost seven years ago. Is there a sense of continuity for you, or was it so long ago that you're viewing Saturday as a completely separate entity?

Usman: It's a new fight, but there are certain things that don't change. Certain things don't leave you. So in a sense, there's a little bit of a continuation, but at the same time, I understand that I had to improve my skills, and my skills have improved, and his skills have also improved.

Edwards is a tough, smart fighter, and for me it's hard to see a path to victory for him here. But it doesn't matter what I think. How do you see it going this Saturday? Any predictions?

Usman: Oh, there's a path to victory for everybody. A fight's a fight. That's why we love this sport so much, because anything can happen.

I respect that he's a tough opponent. He's going to be coming with everything he's got. And I know he truly believes that this is his time and his destiny, to be champion.

But I'm going to put his dreams on hold.

And so my prediction is that I'll do what I do best, which is go inside that Octagon and get the win.

You have a bit of a catch phrase. You're always saying "put some respect on my name." You routinely headline pay-per-views, you're No. 1 on the UFC pound-for-pound rankings, and you're riding a streak of five consecutive title defenses.

Even with all that, do you still feel disrespected by people? And if so, why do you feel that way? Why do you think the respect isn't there?

Usman: It's always going to happen. That s--t's just how people are. They don’t want to appreciate somebody, and I think it's because it helps them feel better about not being in the position of that person.

But it's not about me being liked or not liked. It's about being respected. Each and every one of the guys I'm facing are the biggest, baddest dudes in the world. And time and time again, I'm victorious against these guys.

So that's all I'm asking: put some respect on my name! You don't have to like it, but put some respect on it.

So to be clear, the people who don't respect you are acting out of jealousy?

Usman: (long pause) I don't know what it is. I can't tell you what it is, honestly.

I don't speak for anybody else. What I do know is that I'm stepping in there, each and every time, and beating the biggest, baddest contenders in the world.

And that deserves to have some respect.

You may have gotten this question once or twice before: If Khamzat Chimaev beats Nate Diaz at UFC 279, is he the next man in line?

Usman: First of all, I'm not even thinking about Chimaev. I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about Leon Edwards. That's who I’m worried about.

So, yeah, UFC 279 is a whole different event, and it's not my event. When I get through my event, I know the media, the fans aren't gonna be shy about telling me about the next guy they think might be able to defeat me.

But I'm only thinking about Leon Edwards now. We'll deal with the rest and everything else after.

You've talked about getting into boxing, in kind of a semi-serious way. You’ve called out Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, and you've been linked to Jake Paul. How serious are you really about crossing over to boxing?

Usman: It's not 'semi-serious.' I talked about boxing because I'm one of the pound-for-pound bests, and I want to fight the other pound-for-pound best, and that's Canelo Alvarez. There's nothing 'semi' about that.

Now, Jake Paul, I don’t know why he's a part of the conversation, or from where. But that fight makes no sense to me—unless Jake Paul is willing to offer me a, you know, an amount that's equivalent to fighting Canelo.

But it's not just about the money, or fighting Jake Paul. With Alvarez, it's pound-for-pound versus pound-for-pound, and I am very serious about that.

Who would you say has been your toughest opponent in the UFC to date?

Usman: That's a really good question. My answer is different from everybody else's answer, because everyone sees what they see, and they think they know what the answer is based on what they saw. But I was actually in there. So I might have a little different answer.

Leon is definitely one of the toughest guys I've faced in there. But also Emil Meek. He was one of the toughest guys I've faced inside the Octagon as well [Editor’s note: Usman defeated Meek by unanimous decision in 2018].

You've formed a bond with Francis Ngannou and Israel Adesanya, the UFC heavyweight and middleweight champions, respectively. All three of you have deep African roots. [Editor’s note: Usman is Nigerian-American, Ngannou is Cameroonian-French and Adesanya is Nigerian-New Zealander]. How did this friendship form and what does it mean to you?

Usman: It's something that I can't explain, something a lot of people would never understand.

It's not something that you force; it just kinda happened. We've all been placed in the situation that we're in, and we all understand that. We see the responsibility of it. And understanding that is just something that is deep inside us. And I think that's what makes that bond so strong.

Ngannou threw out the idea of putting all three of you on the same card and doing it in Africa.

Usman: We would love to do that, but we're also smart enough to understand the logistics of the sport, and understanding that there's a lot that goes into it behind closed doors that most people aren't seeing. People just say, 'oh, just go out there and do an event.' There's a lot of things that need to take place for something like that to happen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg45JPel-BY

Last one: It's been a pretty busy summer for the UFC. Any fights or fighters jump out? Last weekend we got a surprise Fight of the Year candidate from Nate Landwehr and David Onama. Did you catch that one?

Usman: Oh, of course I caught that! There's another African brother with Onama. He was a great fighter and a great competitor. It seemed in the end he ran out of gas a little bit, but he still put on a fantastic performance.

But Nate 'The Train' is just a dog. Much respect to both of those guys. And definitely a Fight of the Year candidate.

Nate Diaz said he's been offered zero fights from UFC in the last nine months in a response to UFC president Dana White:

Dana said Francis Ngannou was injured and couldn’t fight right now
Idk why he was so confused in interview.
And in the last 9 months I been offered 0 fights and I asked for 5 legitimate opponents ..
Thanks u for the kind words can I go now 👊🏼

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) July 17, 2022

Diaz had previously complained that UFC is holding him back as he remains under contract without the opportunity to do anything outside of the organization. He asked for his release from UFC in March.

"When isn’t Nate Diaz saying something crazy?" White said Saturday night after UFC Long Island. "I've said this a million times and I’ll say it again—we can't hold guys hostage. It's not possible.

"I owe you three fights a year. If I don't fight you three times a year, I have to pay you. How could I hold him hostage?"

Diaz, 37, was a title contender earlier in his career and headlined multiple pay-per-view events, but he has seen little action in recent years. He's competed in just three matches since 2016 and hasn't seen the Octagon since his June 2021 loss to Leon Edwards.

According to Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, Diaz hasn't been offered a fight in 2022 and UFC has until October to create a bout for the veteran.

Nate Diaz delivered the "Stockton Slap" to a member of the media backstage at UFC 276.

"OG" Shawny Mack of Full Send MMA approached Diaz and asked if he was there to see Sean O'Malley compete on the card. The UFC star admonished Mack for some recent posts on social media before knocking the microphone away and slapping him.

The origin of the beef is unclear. Per Jason Hartley of MMA On Point, Diaz may have taken issue with something Mack said about Nick Maximov, who has trained with Diaz.

It doesn't appear things escalated beyond the slap that was captured on video.

We know Nate Diaz has one fight left on his UFC contract.

And that's about all we know.

Will the UFC re-sign him? Will he head to Bellator or the Professional Fighters League? Will he try boxing? Or will Diaz, as he's threatened to and plausibly could do, simply fight one more time and take his millions and ride into the California sunset? 

As of now, it seems he's interested in moving on from a UFC partnership he believes has kept him inactive in part because he always asks for big money—it's a famillar UFC tactic. And if Diaz's negotiating mindset was unclear before Thursday, he helpfully tweeted a picture of himself triumphantly urinating on the grounds of UFC headquarters. The UFC is not going to like that.

Taking a piss on the ufc pi
I could do this cause I get paid more than all uguys and they won’t cut me pic.twitter.com/doiOxUOh4y

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) May 12, 2022

Urination aside, what does the future hold here? Who might Diaz fight next? Don't forget that he is 37 years old now, and truth be told he wasn't a world-beater even in his prime. Diaz's popularity with fans was never about championships, but rather his inimitable charisma in and out of the cage. So the sweet spot is finding a good—but not too good—opponent with comparable name value.

So let's see what we can figure out, shall we? Here are five fighters who have been bandied about as potential dance partners. They're listed from least to most likely.

     

5. Stephen Thompson

In that endlessly friendly way of his, Thompson recently called Diaz out on Twitter, saying the matchup would be a "good striking battle." (Thompson also called out Diaz's older brother Nick, but that bout seems extremely unlikely given that Nick has competed exactly once in the past seven years and tapped to strikes in his bout last year with Robbie Lawler.)

I’m down to fight @nickdiaz209 or @NateDiaz209 ! I have nothing but respect for both of those guys and I’m ready to go. Who wouldn’t love good striking battle?! #respect #readytogo

— Stephen Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) April 27, 2022

Thompson has an unassailable kickboxing pedigree, not to mention 11 wins under the UFC banner. The bout would take place at 170 pounds, with welterweight appearing to be Diaz's preferred class as opposed to 15 pounds less at lightweight. But Thompson can be conservative in his approach and may not give fans the bite-down-on-the-mouthpiece moments they relish, especially when Diaz is involved.

Consider this Plan E for Nate.

    

4. Dustin Poirier

Both competitors actually agreed to this fight until, according to Diaz, the UFC put the kibosh on the matchup.

Speaking on the Weighing In podcast (h/t Chisanga Malata of The Sun), former ref and current MMA pundit John McCarthy opined that "the UFC does not want to allow [Diaz] to fight a big-name guy for the last fight on his contract."

Regardless of reasons, it will be a bummer if this one doesn't come to fruition. Both men like to mix it up—Poirier on the inside and Diaz more from range. Even more importantly, both have the star power to make this a surefire pay-per-view A-side, which isn't necessarily the case with some of these other names.

This one has a wait-and-see feel to it. If Poirier can't find a good opponent down at lightweight, he has made it clear he'll jump up to 170 pounds, where Diaz could well be waiting.

     

3. Michael Chandler

This is the fight Diaz seems to want. And Chandler seems game to give it to him.

UFC got me on ice for a year now chandlers obviously ready to fight send a contract it’s time pic.twitter.com/YJBWEu790F

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) May 10, 2022

I’m there. Quick turn around. Spin your head on its axis. @natediaz209 https://t.co/43AJiZtmlx

— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) May 9, 2022

However, Chandler also seems game to face Conor McGregor, and vice versa. In his post-fight interview last weekend (h/t Bloody Elbow), Chandler said he'd like to face Charles Oliveira for the lightweight strap, but "if they give this [lightweight] title shot to someone else, I got one dude on my mind. Conor McGregor, you gotta come back and fight somebody!" 

McGregor responded on Twitter that a bout with Chandler would be "a nice knock" while leaving himself some wiggle room by noting, "I'm definitely game to fight [Chandler] at some stage in my career."

Chandler has plenty of momentum after rearranging Tony Ferguson's face at UFC 274 with the nastiest front-kick knockout the UFC has seen since Anderson Silva felled Vitor Belfort back in 2011. The former Bellator champ makes no secret of the fact that he wants big fights and is ready and willing to put on exciting scraps.

Although both Diaz and Chandler have decent ground games, this one would likely play out on the feet. Diaz can't match Chandler's power but still may be able to outbox him. Win or lose, this is the kind of Fight of the Night candidate that could send Diaz off with a bang.

You know, if the UFC wants to do that. If it doesn't, Diaz is on the outside looking in.

          

2. Khamzat Chimaev

MMA Twitter recently performed a little detective work. In a video interview with UFC President Dana White, a matchmaking chart visible in the background included Diaz vs. Chimaev penciled in for July 2.

Khamzat Chimaev vs Nate Diaz le 2 juillet ???

📸 @thepivot pic.twitter.com/ynzhjOr4lY

— Ilies Mkt (@IliesMkt) May 3, 2022

White subsequently played it down, noting that some of the matchups on the board are "placeholders" and not necessarily official. Diaz himself has also indicated in the past that he isn't interested in facing Chimaev.

On May 8, Diaz has also cited a Chimaev injury as a reason for not facing the 28-year-old. It's an interesting thing to say, as Chimaev only received a 30-day medical suspension after his UFC 273 defeat of Gilbert Burns on April 9 and no other injury has been made public. 

For his part, Chimaev recently claimed that Diaz turned down a fight with him "10 times."

Chimaev, one of the hottest fighters in the UFC, has the wrestling, dynamism and sheer power to rag-doll Diaz around the cage. He'd be a heavy favorite over Diaz, and both men surely know that. This could put a damper on not just the fight itself but the intrigue leading up to it. Who wants to watch their hero get led to slaughter?

That said, as noted, UFC brass has been known to make unfavorable matchups for fighters with the temerity to stand up to them, especially if said fighters are no longer going to be with the promotion anymore. If you're the UFC, why not take some bloom off the Diaz rose if he's set to jump to a competing show?

There is the small matter of fact that this bout would not carry the same pre-fight buzz, particularly among casual fans, that others might. Chimaev is pretty good on the mic, but he's not a huge name, at least not quite yet. This would be a touch anticlimactic for a fanbase looking for one last fireworks display from Diaz.

      

1. Conor McGregor

This is your leader in the clubhouse, even if McGregor appears tempted to move on to other pastures. But he knows full well that none of those pastures are as money-green as a rubber match with Diaz at 170 pounds.

McGregor can probably call his shot for his return opponent after breaking his leg last year in a bout with Poirier. It appears he could jump the contender line at lightweight. Given that Charles Oliveira was stripped of this belt after missing weight at UFC 274—but then did a number on Justin Gaethje in the main event, after which he called out McGregor and no one else—a matchup with the Irishman this summer would have the twist of both men vying for a vacant title. There's also the issue of McGregor's aforementioned dalliance with Chandler.

As for McGregor-Diaz, it can't be overstated: This fight would make everyone involved a lot of money. Adding intrigue is a feeling that Diaz wants to fight now, rather than wait for McGregor to return.

"Many people think Diaz wants to fight McGregor, and it's just not true," said ESPN reporter Brett Okamoto. 

We'll see. With all that money on the line, with the built-in storyline of a trilogy fight and both men wanting to fight at 170 pounds instead of 155, this may be too hard to resist. Oliveira has plenty of other suitors in the deep lightweight division, including the streaking and dangerous Islam Makhachev. Oliveira understandably wants the McGregor payday, but it feels like a square peg in a round hole for now. 

While the UFC surely enjoys sticking it to fighters who stick it to them, money still talks. With McGregor coming back from a serious injury after a yearlong layoff and being 1-3 in his past four dating back to 2018, it's an open question as to how sharp he'll be in his return. Better to give him a winnable fight with Diaz than throw him directly into deep waters.

The UFC can, and I'm betting will, let these two guys sell 2 million pay-per-views rather than cut off its nose to spite its face by feeding Diaz to Chimaev.

Nate Diaz hasn't fought a UFC match since he lost to Leon Edwards in June 2021, but he is ready to get back inside the Octagon against Michael Chandler.

Diaz shared an image with tweets from himself and Chandler suggesting they are ready to fight. His tweet read: "UFC got me on ice for a year now chandlers obviously ready to fight send a contract it's time".

UFC got me on ice for a year now chandlers obviously ready to fight send a contract it’s time pic.twitter.com/YJBWEu790F

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) May 10, 2022

While the image made it seem like a collaborative effort to set up a fight, Chandler also tweeted the following: "Hey @natediaz209 ...shut up and stop complaining. Keep your mouth shut. Keep your head down until your daddy books a fight for you to get your sacrificial dome bounced off the canvas again. Maybe it'll be me...if you're lucky. See you at the top!"

Andrew Richardson of MMA Mania summarized the "ongoing saga" regarding Diaz's next fight, which is all the more notable because it is the last one on his UFC contract.

Richardson suggested it being the final one has "delayed or outright prevented" potential showdowns against the likes of Vicente Luque, Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier since "UFC remains insistent on Khamzat Chimaev as Diaz's final fight."

In December, Diaz told TMZ Sports he felt disrespected that UFC wants him to fight Chimaev.

"They're coming at me with [Khamzat], and I'm like, 'hold on, don't disrespect me like that, trying to offer me a fight with a rookie,'" he said. "I'm cool, you got four fights in the UFC. Don't even talk my name."

Despite that dismissiveness, Chimaev is now 11-0-0 after an April victory over Gilbert Burns.

As for Chandler, the 23-7-0 fighter has plenty of momentum on his side after a dramatic knockout win over Tony Ferguson on Saturday. He even called out Conor McGregor in a post-fight interview and said he wanted to fight the star at 170 pounds.

That could leave Diaz, who hasn't won since August 2019, searching for his next and final opponent if it happened.         

UFC president Dana White said he fully expects a trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz to eventually take place.

White told TMZ Sports in an interview released Tuesday they're still trying to finalize Diaz's expected bout with Dustin Poirier for now, though.

"We're still working on [the Diaz-Poirier] fight. That fight's not done yet. I wouldn't count out a Conor-Nate 3. Listen, I'd be shocked if that fight didn't happen again," White said.

McGregor and Diaz delivered a pair of memorable encounters in 2016.

That March, the 36-year-old California native secured a submission victory in the second round after nine hard-hitting minutes to hand The Notorious his first UFC loss.

McGregor bounced back five months later to defeat Diaz by majority decision to level the score and create immense interest in a potential trilogy rematch that so far hasn't come to fruition.

Whether Diaz is interested in signing a new UFC contract to make the fight happen isn't clear, though. He told TMZ in mid-February his plan was to fight Poirier and then call it a career with the conclusion of his current contract.

"I would like to fight Dustin Poirier. Like now. Like I've been trying to. If there's any mix-up it's him, and them, and the game," Diaz said. "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."

Meanwhile, McGregor is still completing his recovery from a broken leg suffered against Poirier in July and told SevereMMA (via MMAWeekly) last week he could be back sparring by April, but isn't in a major rush to make his Octagon return.

"It's just about getting back in and competing, getting myself in pristine condition and going in there and enjoying myself and putting on a show for the fans," he said. "I'm in no hurry, no rush."

So there are a lot of different variables in play when it comes to getting another McGregor-Diaz encounter, but it would be an easy sell for UFC, which is likely why White is eager to see it happen.

The outlook about whether the score will actually be settled should become clearer later this year.

Nate Diaz said he wants to fight Dustin Poirier and then retire. Apparently, a bout may be in the cards for this summer.

"I think there's a good chance it's gonna happen," Poirier said of a potential fight against Diaz, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. "I think summer is a good target, if had to put one on the calender. But I think it's gonna happen."

Diaz, who has one fight remaining on his UFC contract, told TMZ Sports on Friday that he wants Poirier to be his final opponent.

"I would like to fight Dustin Poirier. Like now. Like I've been trying to. If there's any mix-up it's him, and them, and the game," Diaz said. "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 has been gunning for a fight against Poirier since late last year, and the 36-year-old has called him out on several occasions via Twitter.

185lbs
Pull-up pic.twitter.com/wDJxAo1YLL

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) July 16, 2021

I just talked to the ufc I said wassup with the Dp fight I wanna fight asap but they said dustin sucks and they don’t want it sorry Dustin you suck hope to fight asap tho let’s do this 👊🏼
Ps Olivera you suck too

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) January 5, 2022

Poirier hasn't shied away from the banter, however, making it clear last month that he would be willing to fight Diaz.

pic.twitter.com/jdPWlDpPtQ

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) January 20, 2022

While the two veteran fighters have been vocal in their interest in fighting one another, UFC President Dana White has remained noncommittal. He said on The Jim Rome Show last month that fights are currently booked through May and that "Diaz will get a fight when the time comes."

Diaz and Poirier were supposed to meet at UFC 230 in November 2018, but the latter withdrew because of an injury.

Diaz is 21-13 lifetime, and while his resume includes wins over Anthony Pettis, Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone, he has lost his last two fights to Jorge Masvidal (UFC 244) and Leon Edwards (UFC 263).

Poirier, meanwhile, is 28-7 lifetime, with wins over McGregor, Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez. However, his most recent fight was a loss via submission to Charles Oliveira in December. His career wins include 14 by knockout. 

Mixed martial artist Nate Diaz told TMZ Sports that he wants to close out his career with a fight against Dustin Poirier.

"I would like to fight Dustin Poirier. Like now. Like I've been trying to. If there's any mix-up it's him, and them, and the game," Diaz said.

"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, who has one fight left on his UFC contract, is confident in his chances against Poirier, who is ranked as the UFC's No. 2 lightweight contender and No. 8 pound-for-pound fighter.

"He ain't doing s--t to me," Diaz told TMZ Sports during the Shaq's Fun House party in Los Angeles on Friday.

"I'll tell ya that much."

Diaz is 20-13 lifetime with 11 submissions and five knockouts.

Diaz has called out for a Poirier fight multiple times this year as he implores the UFC to make it happen.

I just talked to the ufc I said wassup with the Dp fight I wanna fight asap but they said dustin sucks and they don’t want it sorry Dustin you suck hope to fight asap tho let’s do this 👊🏼
Ps Olivera you suck too

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) January 5, 2022

@ufc stop playing wit me consider this my signature to fight this fucker I been trying to fight for a minute quit slowing down the real fight game it’s time pic.twitter.com/6LTkbw9Fs0

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) January 19, 2022

Poirier also made it clear he'd be up for that bout.

pic.twitter.com/jdPWlDpPtQ

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) January 20, 2022

"Of course we're interested [in that fight]," UFC president Dana White said about a possible Poirier-Diaz bout, per ESPN's Brett Okamoto.

"This is what we do. We make fights every weekend. What happens is guys just want to jump out of nowhere. 'I want to do this, I want to do that.' We have fights booked all the way to, I want to say May 2. Everything is in place. Everything is done. Obviously, Nate Diaz will get a fight."

Another Conor McGregor-Diaz battle could be on the table too, although that would depend on the former fighter's health after he shattered his left tibia and fibula in a UFC 264 matchup against Poirier.

"It could be [McGregor-Diaz], but it's going to depend—I think Conor is going to be back this summer, but I don't know if Conor will be back this summer," White said. "It's all going to depend on how Conor's leg heals and a million other things that could happen between now and summer. So, to speculate is stupid. I just stopped doing that."

The 36-year-old Diaz's fight resume includes wins over Conor McGregor, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Anthony Pettis. His last fight resulted in a unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards last June.

Poirier, who once held the UFC's interim lightweight title, is 28-7 lifetime with one no-contest. Fourteen of his wins have come by knockout, and seven have occurred via submission.

His most recent fight was a third-round submission loss in December to Charles Oliveira in a fight for the lightweight title.

Welcome back to the B/R MMA Mailbag. Here's where we answer your questions about the MMA issues of the day.

UFC 270 is in the rearview, and it may have raised more questions than it answered. After his unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane in Saturday's main event, heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou faces a fork in the road. As does the UFC.

There has been plenty of talk about contracts of late. With a sizable lawsuit bringing more company details into the public sphere, our knowledge of fighter contracts and UFC business practices is more fleshed out than ever.

Why is this timely? More than one of this week's questions deal squarely with issues related to contracts. So let's jump right in. Want to see your question featured? Drop it in the mailbag each Monday, and I'll answer a selection of them here. Extra points for a solid piece of sarcasm.

     

Why didn't Dana White put the belt on Francis and no-show the presser after the fight? 

@PhilAccio

To properly answer this question, one must first plunge oneself down the contractual rabbit hole.

Dana White is a tenacious—some might say pugnacious—negotiator. He doesn't like it when anyone else has leverage. But Ngannou has a big share after Saturday's title defense. 

Here's the background: As many fans know, this was the last fight on Ngannou's existing contract. However, the UFC may invoke the champion's clause, which automatically extends that contract.

And yet, there was Ngannou talking openly about boxing Tyson Fury. Why? Because he has an ace up his sleeve—a belief that he could simply wait out the contract until early 2023. A perfect amount of time to undergo and rehab from, oh, I don't know, a knee surgery.

In case you missed it, that's matchmaker Mick Maynard putting the belt around #AndStill Champion Francis Ngannou. Let the conspiracy theories commence.#UFC270 pic.twitter.com/MTCO9iAt7U

— Consensus Score (@ConsensusScore) January 23, 2022

White is well aware of all of this and as such was surely rooting for Gane—don't forget, Gane was the favorite in this matchup. 

But Ngannou used that much-improved wrestling to turn the tables on Gane and White. So White, most likely in an agitated state after the contest, did what he does best: spit in the eyes of his adversaries, real and perceived. White didn't like what happened, so he took his ball and went home. No respect to the champ, no answering questions on something he doesn't want to talk about. We'll see how negotiations unfold from here and how Ngannou proceeds with that knee surgery.

     

When the dust settles, what fight will we end up seeing for the last fight of the Nate Diaz contract? Diaz-Poirier, Diaz-McGregor or Diaz flipping off the UFC?

@SchwinnArmstrong

I like to picture Nate Diaz just flipping the bird to everyone he sees. It's more like a greeting for Nate at this point. He holds the door for an old lady, she says thank you, he flips the bird. He's waiting for his latte at Starbucks, they call his name, he takes the latte and flips the bird to each barista one at a time. Then he accuses them all of taking PEDs. (Warning: tweet contains profanity)

pic.twitter.com/EqyEJsxAtr

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) January 20, 2022

That's the world I want to live in. In the world in which I actually live, contract issues are once again rearing their ugly heads.

Diaz is indeed on the final fight of his contract. But wait, you may be asking, didn't the UFC just extend his contract? Yes, but there's one little snag. Per MMA broadcaster Ariel Helwani, Diaz never signed it (h/t Bloody Elbow's Milan Ordonez).  

Diaz is spoiling for a battle with Poirier, but according to Helwani, the UFC may not let it happen unless Diaz extends his contract by one fight so he can also face McGregor when the notorious Irishman returns from the leg disintegration he sustained in his last bout with Poirier (h/t MMA Mania's Ryan Harkness). 

pic.twitter.com/xYxnv4uMj5

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) January 7, 2022

The alternative is for Diaz to wait to face McGregor in McGregor's return bout. But there are a lot of ifs in that scenario, not least of which is a potential McGregor date with lightweight champ Charles Oliveira or one of several other high-octane bangers in the UFC's current marquee division. Are you telling me you wouldn't shell out to see McGregor face Michael Chandler or Tony Ferguson? Of course not. To a lesser extent, McGregor's recovery timeline is a factor, though summer is an increasingly likely target.

There's a lot of uncertainty here, but my guess is the UFC will pull the trigger on Diaz-Poirier. That's a big pay-per-view draw, and with Diaz now 36 years old, the window won't stay open forever. McGregor will attract main-event-level eyeballs no matter whom he faces, so that matchmaking is more likely to take care of itself. Poirier and to a lesser extent Diaz need strong dance partners to make a surefire headliner. 

As they say, a bird in the hand [dons sunglasses] is worth two in the bush. 

     

What happens first, a fourth fight between Figgy and Moreno or does Kara-France get a shot? 

@TheWolfofBroadSt

Good question. Figgy, aka Deiveson Figueiredo, recaptured the flyweight title in the UFC 270 co-main event, leg-kicking his way to a unanimous decision win over Brandon Moreno.

With their first contest being a draw, and with each man now having one win over the other, there's clearly some unfinished business here.

Kai Kara-France is an electric striker, coming out of City Kickboxing in New Zealand, training alongside middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and plenty of others. He got the biggest win of his career in December when he wiped out former bantamweight champ and current glass cannon Cody Garbrandt. He's climbing the ladder in a big way, but he's still just 3-2 in his last five dating back to 2019.

Another strong possibility is Askar Askarov, an undefeated Dagestani whom Moreno fought to a draw, also in 2019. His grinding style isn't pretty, but it's damned effective. 

And hey, here's a neat twist: In a piece of solid match-making, Kara-France and Askarov are set to face off in March. The winner will be locked in as the top contender outside of Moreno and Figgy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnkSM9kcQXg

The UFC hasn't been quick to make a fourth fight between two rivals. In fact, they've never done it at all. There's no better time than now to break that seal. Both fighters have agreed in principle to a fourth bout, perhaps in Mexico or Brazil. 

The action between them is fierce, the margins razor thin. I think the UFC sets a new precedent and books these two greats for a historic matchup later this year.

We'll stop there for now, but see you next week. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Twitter @ScottHarrisMMA.