Nate Diaz

The UFC and United States Anti-Doping Agency have made significant revisions to the promotion's anti-doping policy, according to Brett Okamoto of ESPN. 

The promotion will now have a "UFC prohibited list" and a list of "certified supplements." The latter will offer immunity to athletes who test positive for a banned substance in the event those supplements are found to have been contaminated. 

While the prohibited list reportedly follows World Anti-Doping Agency code, there are different thresholds for certain substances now that testing has advanced to the point where trace amounts can be detected. Additionally, an athlete who fails a test because of a contaminated supplement that's been certified by one of five independent supplement certifiers won't receive any discipline from UFC.

The changes intend to address the increased rate of drug cases involving contaminated substances. 

This includes Nate Diaz, who failed a drug test before being cleared ahead of UFC 244. His positive test was traced back to a "vegan, plant-based daily multivitamin."

"I thought was all made up," Diaz said afterward, per Damon Martin of MMA Fighting.

Jon Jones also had atypical findings in his February drug tests before he was cleared to fight.

The revisions to the policy are intended to avoid these misunderstandings in the future.

"The policy needs to be a living, breathing document that's progressive and allows us to pivot our stance, based on what the science supports," UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell told Okamoto. "Testing measures have gotten so good and the types of contaminants are changing constantly, you're seeing a rise in these types of cases."

The new policy will go into effect immediately and will apply to any currently pending cases.

Maybe there's some kind of life lesson buried inside this week's surprise storyline that former UFC title challenger Nick Diaz wants to come back to the Octagon to exact revenge on Jorge Masvidal because of the latter's third-round stoppage of younger brother Nate Diaz at UFC 244.

Might it go something like this? Never fight one of Diaz brothers unless you plan on fighting both.

Regardless, Nick suddenly and shockingly burst back on to the MMA scene Monday, when the 36-year-old told ESPN's Ariel Helwani during an interview that he was eyeing a UFC return in 2020. 

Diaz said the only opponent he wanted was Masvidal, something Diaz's manager later confirmed to Helwani, and he made it clear why Gamebred was his focus. 

"The BMF... that's my belt. You just fought my baby brother."@nickdiaz209 feels the BMF belt was his all along (via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/7f1wZTyRQO

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 11, 2019

"You want to talk about baptizing my younger brother?" Diaz said per ESPN. "That's on you. Like, you don't talk about baptizing my younger brother, so you're already in a f---ed position if you fight with me. You don't f---ing talk about baptizing someone's younger brother. That's my baby brother. You don't talk like that to nobody."

Diaz hasn't fought since 2015 when he lost a decision to Anderson Silva. That fight was later ruled a no-contest after Silva tested positive for banned substances. Diaz also failed a drug test for marijuana metabolites and was suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission for 18 months after the initial five-year suspension was reduced.

But all that seems so long ago, mostly because Diaz pretty much disappeared from MMA.

Now the elder Diaz, perhaps the UFC's OG, appears primed for his own BMF battle against Masvidal sometime in 2020. At least, that's what will happen if Diaz gets his way.

So there's just one question up for debate among the B/R MMA crew: Should Nick Diaz come back to fight in the UFC?

Tom Taylor: I love Nick Diaz as much as the next guy, but I don't want to see him fight again.

The simple reason for that is that I don't think he wants to. Yes, he seemed to express interest in exacting revenge on Masvidal, but he sure didn't seem certain. In fact, when he was asked in the same interview whether he was interested in fighting again, his response was "absolutely not."

It's not the first time the elder Diaz bro expressed this sentiment, either. Earlier in 2019, in a video shared to his Instagram story, he told his followers: "I don't want to hurt nobody. I just want to party."

That's not the kind of thing you want to hear from a professional fighter, particularly one who's being discussed as the next opponent for the newly crowned BMF, Masvidal.

Throw in the fact that Nick has not fought since January 2015, and there's even more reason to believe he would be in over his head against Masvidal—or any other top welterweight, for that matter. Sure, ring rust doesn't seem to affect the Diaz brothers the same way it affects other fighters—Nate recently returned from a three-year hiatus as if he had only been gone a month—but Nick has been out for almost five years.

Half a decade, people. That's like half a century in Fighter Years.

Maybe he could come back and wallop Masvidal to become the lineal BMF champ. Maybe he could even go on to become the undisputed UFC welterweight champ in 2020. The potential for a tough loss is massive, though, and there's no reason for him to risk it.

Somewhere in his garage or in one of his closets, perhaps hanging among some old Affliction T-shirts and his nunchucks, there is a Strikeforce belt. Even if he's lost that piece of hardware, we all know how good at fighting he was in his prime, and that he was one of MMA's original BMFs.

When aging fighters stage comebacks, we often hear phrases like "he's got nothing left to prove." It gets a little repetitive, but in Diaz's cause, it's irrefutable. He really has proved himself, and considering he seems to have no solid, long-lasting will to fight, I see no reason that he should.

Enjoy your retirement, Nick. You don't even need to make that retirement official—just ride off into the Stockton sunset and enjoy yourself.

            

Scott Harris: No! Nick Diaz, if you're reading this, don't fight again, dude. I have serious concerns this is about to go into "Michael Jordan playing for the Washington Wizards" territory. And I know how scary that prospect is. I'm sorry to report that I attended several of those Wizards games.

But can I first say that the wider MMA media's coverage of this is getting a little, I don't know, breathless? How many news cycles is this going to feed? The Diaz brothers are legends, but is the form following the function in how this is being reported? Frankly, it's a little exhausting.

In defense of basically myself, this may be the symptom of a wider cause we're now facing more closely than before: Nick Diaz is no longer the guy we remember from all our internal highlight reels. It's as simple as that.

One important caveat: Diaz has more than earned the right to fight whomever he pleases, including Masvidal. I'm a fan. I'll watch. Who knows? He might even win. I'm not counting him out as a fighter. But people age and they change. And Diaz, who first fought professionally in 2001 at the age of 18, has taken on plenty of mileage, to put it mildly.

Diaz also strikes me as a guy who knows how to take advantage of downtime. He's also said repeatedly he doesn't like to fight. If I'm Diaz, where's the upside in fighting Masvidal? He and Nate likely have all the money they will ever need, they are famous, they are still young and they are two of the baddest BMFs on the planet.

Those are the facts, and even if Nick fights anyway, those facts remain. And that reality can wear away the rather considerable edge a person needs to step into a cage in front of 20,000 people and tear off another person's head while attempting to stop said person from doing the same to them.

Could Diaz still have it? Of course, he could still have it. There's only one way to find out. The question for any observer is, do you want to find out? I don't. I like my Nick Diaz highlight reel the way it is.

                 

Lyle Fitzsimmons: First things first, let's get this on the record.

I respect Scott. I admire Tom. I'm proud to play alongside them on the B/R MMA team.

But it would be difficult to disagree with them here any more than I already do.

Hell yes, Nick Diaz should fight in the UFC next year. Furthermore, hell yes I'll be watching if it happens.

And here's why. Contrary to my esteemed colleagues' mirroring opinions, this isn't about whether Nate's older brother is in his prime. He's not. And it's not about whether he will be a significant underdog if/when the Masvidal fight gets made in 2020. It's a Namath-level guarantee.

No one approaching their right mind would argue either point. But this one isn't about comparing competitive peaks or analyzing tales of the tape.

Save that for Fight Night shows on premium cable.

Instead, when it comes to Jorge vs. Nick, it's about melding the elements that elevate an event from must-see status among hardcore UFC fans to can't-miss status for the sports-watching mainstream.

It's got big names. It's got big friction. It's got the potential (read: likelihood) to yield compelling violence.

Exactly the sorts of things that come with a Diaz on the pay-per-view marquee.

Lest we forget, baby bro Nate Diaz was little beyond an afterthought when he jumped in just 11 days prior to meeting Conor McGregor in 2016. He had lost three of his previous five fights—two by unanimous decision, one by TKO—and entered the Las Vegas Octagon anywhere from a 3- to 4-1 underdog.

Two rounds later, he was a legend. And when the rematch arrived, he was a PPV money machine.

Is there a chance that Nick, with his prolonged absence from combat and proclivity for full-tilt living, winds up on the short end of a competitive mismatch? Absolutely. But the chance he ratchets up his born-to-fight pedigree and creates an instant classic throwdown is by no means small in comparison.

Regardless of where it falls on the continuum, it's almost certain to be memorable.

And as far as I'm concerned, it's too good a long-shot circus to pass up.

              

Kelsey McCarson: So many great points have already been made, but the most important one that comes to my mind whenever the topic about whether an older fighter should continue their career or make a comeback after being away for a few years is this: Who am I do say?

I wasn't there when Diaz first went to the gym. Nobody asked me when he first started sparring or entered the cage for the first time. Heck, once he made it to the top of the sport, nobody in Diaz's camp wanted to know my opinion on which fights he should take or how main hours a day he should train or what he should or shouldn't eat.

And nobody should have, either, because Diaz, along with other fighters who find themselves in similar positions, did all that stuff himself.

So the way I see it is simple. Diaz is a fighter, and a fighter's life is as difficult as it is brief. Unlike other professions, fighters have to make the most amount of money as quickly as possible because somewhere along the line, their bodies break down to the point that they can no longer compete.

Nobody knows how Diaz might look after being away from the sport for so long. Maybe he's too old now. Maybe his skills have eroded enough that he wouldn't be competitive. Maybe he no longer has that inner fire that made him great.

Or maybe the long rest has rejuvenated him. Maybe he would come back and be the best fighter he's ever been.

Who knows?

So for me, if Diaz wants to fight again, the UFC wants to offer him the chance to do it and he passes all the medical tests he has to pass, there's no need for me chime in on whether I think it would be a good idea.

Because in the end, Diaz is gonna Diaz. And that's exactly how things should be.

Nate Diaz won't go quietly into the night.

The 34-year-old MMA fighter denied he's contemplating retirement to ESPN's Ariel Helwani:

I asked Nate Diaz this evening if he was actually retired given his social media post earlier this week.

He replied, “Who said I was retired?”

I said, “I think people thought it meant you were done with MMA."

He replied, "I’ll fight tonight."

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 10, 2019

Diaz had posted to Instagram earlier this week with a vague caption (warning: NSFW language): "F--k a rematch this s--t was over before it started I'm goin out on tour Peace out fight game."

In a September interview released on Oct. 26, Diaz had told Helwani, "I'll fight forever." Between Diaz's comments from September and Saturday was his loss to Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244 on Nov. 2. The fight ended prematurely because of a doctor's stoppage in the third round as Diaz sported a gaping cut over his eyebrow. Masvidal had won each round.

Masvidal responded to Diaz's speculated retirement on Instagram. A photo of the two fighters from UFC 244 was accompanied by this caption: "Heard it might be true, if so it was fun sharing the cage with you. Whenever you get that itch again, let's run it back. I'm gonna go make this paper in the mean time."

Following the fight, UFC President Dana White told reporters that a rematch between Diaz and Masvidal "doesn't interest me right away."

Diaz holds a 21-12-0 overall record since his pro MMA debut in 2004.

UFC veteran Nate Diaz has hinted he is heading into retirement from mixed martial arts following his loss to Jorge Masvidal via doctor's stoppage at UFC 244 on Saturday.

Diaz, 34, lost via stoppage for only the third time in his 15-year career at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where welterweight star Masvidal was dominating prior to the doctor's intervention.

A rematch between the pair was mooted, though Diaz now seems to have dismissed any chance of a second fight.

He took to Instagram on Thursday and posted an image of him smoking alongside older brother and fellow UFC veteran Nick Diaz. The caption read: "F--k a rematch this s--t was over before it started. I'm goin on out on tour (sic). Peace out fight game (peace emoji)."

Masvidal, also 34, clinched the one-off "BMF belt" with his victory between the third and fourth round when a cut over Diaz's right eye was deemed too severe for him to continue, via BT Sport (footage NSFW):

Diaz (20-12 in professional MMA) first rose to prominence when he won The Ultimate Fighter 5 in 2007. Older brother Nick was well-established in the UFC at the time, while Nate already had fights in Strikeforce and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) under his belt.

The Stockton, California, native will perhaps be best remembered for his double-header of fights with Conor McGregor. Diaz submitted McGregor at UFC 196, becoming the first fighter to beat "The Notorious" in the promotion, though he lost the rematch via majority decision at UFC 202 in August 2016.

His supposed retirement means fans may never get to see the much-anticipated trilogy fight, which McGregor alluded to following Saturday's result:

Excellent job Greg. Robbed of a classic there we were.
Cutmen in the corner must be more assertive when a fighter must stay still. Between rounds 1 and 2 a crucial moment of repair was missed due to movement.
Either way, solid fighting and onto the next... Me.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 3, 2019

Diaz—who defeated Anthony Pettis via decision at UFC 241 in August—spoke to reporters prior to UFC 244 and suggested the meeting with Masvidal could be his last bout:

“I'll never have to fight again. I didn't have to fight a long time ago. But what am I going to do? I've got all kinds of other stuff going on, but I don't like not fighting.

“I'll take forever off, or I'll get back to it if anybody comes correct. The only reason we've had problems in the past is because you better treat me like it's supposed to be."

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert had a baby daughter with partner Misty Brown in June 2018. However, he said after his most recent loss that that side of his life doesn't impact his fight career, via MMA Junkie (language NSFW):

.@NateDiaz209 doesn't want your baby pity 👶: "This is the fight game. I hate when people be holding babies and sh*t. It just irritates me." pic.twitter.com/zW08f3UWtl

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) November 4, 2019

Diaz's hard-knocks approach to MMA has seen him take a lot of damage in the Octagon since he debuted at 19. He's lost nine times via decision, once by submission and twice via knockout (including the doctor's stoppage against Masvidal).

MMA fans became accustomed to a world without Diaz when he took a three-year hiatus—returning in August—though Thursday's announcement appears to suggest he's ready for a more permanent exit.

Conor McGregor has said fans were "robbed of a classic" at UFC 244 in New York on Saturday after Jorge Masvidal was awarded victory over Nate Diaz when the doctor stopped the fight in the third round due to a cut above the Californian fighter's right eye.  

Responding to a video posted on Twitter by UFC consultant physician Dr. Greg Hsu, McGregor also hinted at a potential third fight against Diaz in the future:

Excellent job Greg. Robbed of a classic there we were.
Cutmen in the corner must be more assertive when a fighter must stay still. Between rounds 1 and 2 a crucial moment of repair was missed due to movement.
Either way, solid fighting and onto the next... Me.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 3, 2019

Diaz, 34, and McGregor, 31, met twice in 2016.

However, McGregor also called out Masvidal in a later post from his Twitter account:

Hey @BurgerKing, could I get a 3 piece with soda and a side chicken box please? Loads of salt and vinegar. Thanks

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 3, 2019

McGregor was referencing Masivdal's comments after a backstage fight with Leon Edwards during UFC Fight Night 147.

”You are what you are, you’re just a loser in life, man,” Masvidal said of Edwards, per Ryan Harkness of MMAMania.com. “You’re not going to get a hit off on me. So I had to give him the three piece with the soda and then just glide out of there, you know? And then some of his friends tried to sucker punch me, those guys did a big mistake.”

Diaz prevailed at UFC 196 in McGregor's first welterweight bout before the Irishman got his revenge with a majority decision win five months later at UFC 202.

Diaz then spent almost three years out of the Octagon before returning back in August with a unanimous-decision triumph over Anthony Pettis.

Masvidal, 34, was ahead on the scorecards when time was called in Saturday's headline welterweight clash:

Jorge Masvidal was ahead 30-26, 30-27, 30-26 against Nate Diaz after three rounds, prior to the stoppage. Judges Derek Cleary and Sal D’Amato gave Masvidal a 10-8 in the second round. #UFC244

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) November 3, 2019

But Diaz was coming back into the fight when it was stopped at Madison Square Garden.

A rematch between the pair seems highly likely:

The cuts.

Wanna see an immediate rematch? (📷 Getty) pic.twitter.com/CzDsxoEBvP

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 3, 2019

Diaz isn’t happy. Wants an immediate rematch.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 3, 2019

McGregor, meanwhile, has not been in action since he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October last year.

He announced his retirement back in March, but McGregor seems ready to get back in the game. 

Jorge Masvidal staked his claim as the baddest man in the UFC with a third-round doctor's stoppage against Nate Diaz to close out UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

The cageside doctor deemed the Stockton, California, native unfit to continue because of a nasty cut above Diaz's right eye.

For three rounds, Masvidal put on a clinic against his opponent. Gamebred set the tone early with a knockdown in the first round. The frenetic flurry included an elbow and head kick that started the gash.

Masvidal would continue to lay on the punishment until the cut became a bigger and bigger storyline. Going into the fourth round, the doctor surprisingly decided to draw the fight to a close. As ESPN Stats & Info noted, it was only the fifth time a doctor stoppage has ended a pay-per-view bout:

This is the 5th doctor's stoppage in the main event of a pay-per-view card in UFC history. pic.twitter.com/oe0qm96fFm

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 3, 2019

Regardless of the somewhat controversial ruling, this was a top-notch performance from the winner. Diaz showcased his typical toughness but not much else as Masvidal's boxing and body kicks proved to be too much for him as the fight wore on.

It was a bout that lived up to the hype as an exciting affair. Masvidal brought the heat, and Diaz was there to respond throughout. While the ending wasn't satisfying, the fight itself was.

Overall, it was a fitting end to a card that brought plenty of action to the Empire State.

     

UFC 244 Results

Main card

• Jorge Masvidal defeats Nate Diaz via TKO (doctor's stoppage), Round 3
• Darren Till defeats Kelvin Gastelum via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 27-30)
• Stephen Thompson defeats Vicente Luque via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
• Derrick Lewis defeats Blagoy Ivanov via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
• Kevin Lee defeats Gregor Gillespie via KO, 2:47 of Round 1

Undercard

• Corey Anderson defeats Johnny Walker via TKO, 2:07 of Round 1
• Shane Burgos defeats Makwan Amirkhani via TKO, 4:32 of Round 3
• Edmen Shahbazyan defeats Brad Tavares via KO, 2:27 of Round 1
• Jairzinho Rozenstruik defeats Andrei Arlovski via TKO, 0:29 of Round 1
• Katlyn Chookagian defeats Jennifer Maia via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
• Lyman Good defeats Chance Rencountre via TKO, 2:03 of Round 3
• Hakeem Dawodu defeats Julio Arce via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

     

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Darren Till

Darren Till and Kelvin Gastelum did very little to help fans stay awake in anticipation of the main event. The two former welterweights engaged in a slow-paced bout that saw Till pick up a decision win.

The Brit was making his middleweight debut after a checkered history with making the 170-pound limit at welterweight. With a less drastic weight cut, he appeared to be more agile and kept Gastelum guessing as to where he was going next.

The bout was somewhat difficult to score. The exchanges between the two were few and far between, but the scorecard that had Gastelum winning the bout 30-27 was especially puzzling, as the American certainly didn't appear to do enough to win all three rounds.

30-27 Gastelum is an unbelievable card. Wow. Wonder did he score it the wrong way around. #UFC244

— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) November 3, 2019

While this wasn't the flashiest of entries into the division, it does give Till new life. His knockout loss to Masvidal erased any chances of being a welterweight contender any time soon, but a win over Gastelum means something in the middleweight division.

One would hope that he opens up more when the time comes, but this win should have opened up doors for Till to take on other big names in the division.

     

Stephen Thompson vs. Vicente Luque

Reports of Stephen Thompson's decline were greatly exaggerated.

The 36-year-old karate fighter was written off by many (and for good reason) with a 1-3 record in his previous four fights, but he did a lot to prove he's still a threat in the welterweight division. The South Carolina native taught Vicente Luque lessons on footwork and counters.

Luque had moments of aggression, but the threat of Thompson's strong counter game subdued the aggressive style that he's been known for. Wonderboy was able to keep the distance with his body kicks, forcing Luque to cover too much ground when trying to initiate the action.

Those kicks!!#UFC244 pic.twitter.com/prJohkXxKg

— UFC (@ufc) November 3, 2019

Thompson looked sharper than he has during his struggles of late. He landed punches squarely with regularity, and Luque, to his credit, seemed to be largely unfazed by them.

Thompson didn't pick up the finish, but this appearance will definitely keep him in the mix of top welterweights before he's written off.

     

Blagoy Ivanov vs. Derrick Lewis

After watching three rounds of Derrick Lewis and Blagoy Ivanov slug it out, there should be only one question: What exactly would it take to knock out Ivanov?

Lewis' cinder-block fists couldn't do it. The Black Beast is usually lights-out any time he connects, but he was able to land some of his best stuff against the Bulgarian, and he just kept coming back swinging.

For those who love the hallmarks of heavyweight MMA, this fight was glorious. It had two big fellas slinging leather in wild exchanges, but also had prolonged periods of hugging through bouts of heavy breathing and recovery from said exchanges.

The scores were a bit all over the place. One judge saw the bout as a clean sweep for Lewis, while another gave it to the winner by a 29-28 score. Ivanov did enough to take one scorecard 29-28.

The win gets Lewis's hand raised for the first time in three fights after losses to Daniel Cormier and Junior dos Santos in his last two bouts. In a division as shallow as heavyweight, it won't be long before Lewis is given another crack at a big name toward the top.

     

Gregor Gillespie vs. Kevin Lee

After a 13-0 start to his professional MMA career, Gregor Gillespie finally got a shot against a big-name opponent on a pay-per-view card. It couldn't have gone worse for him.

Gillespie has utilized his tenacious wrestling to great effect in his career but didn't have time to get things to the ground before Kevin Lee slept him in the first round. Lee threw an overhand right and followed it directly with a beautiful head kick that landed flush and brought the fight to an immediate halt.

Lee needed a win in the worst way. After losses to Al Iaquinta and Rafael dos Anjos in back-to-back fights, the UFC thrww Lee to the up-and-coming Gillespie. Instead, he finds himself with a revitalized outlook, as he stole some of Gillespie's shine.

When watching someone like Lee go 1-3 for a stretch, it is easy to write him off. However, a performance like this reminds fans that he is still just 27 years old and will likely be a player in the lightweight division for years to come.

NEW YORK — If the Baddest Motherf--ker Belt gave you bad feelings in advance of UFC 244, take this opportunity to cleanse yourself.

If Saturday's violent-yet-abbreviated main event between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal for the BMF title—the only trophy in major sports history to contain (language NSFW) a major curse word—felt like a bad time and a stain on the honor of MMA, reconsider your affinity in favor of one keeping with the gravity of your worldview.

Just kidding. This whole BMF thing was unquestionably a science experiment. But for people who like their sports outside the box, New York's Madison Square Garden was the only place to be Saturday.

I've been lucky enough to be in the house for a few UFC events over the years, in MSG and elsewhere. The building usually crackles for even the humblest of cards. But the voltage from this crowd for Diaz and Masvidal was off the meter even by the raucous standards of mixed martial arts.

Cold water rained down when Masvidal's hand was raised following an anticlimactic doctor's stoppage TKO following the third round, thanks to a cut Masvidal opened over Diaz's eye in the first. The cut didn't look like the fight-ending sort, as far as big-fight cuts go. But Masvidal put on a master class and was on pace to win anyway.

It was fun while it lasted, and we are now queued for a certain rematch.

"Let's run it back," Masvidal told broadcaster Joe Rogan in the cage immediately after the fight.

Befitting the occasion, the first round began on a playful note when Masvidal faked the same flying knee that earned him a record-breaking knockout of Ben Askren. A punch-kick knockdown of Diaz tore open the fateful gash over his right eye and was the most significant offense of the round.

Diaz came out swinging in the second, but Masvidal again did more damage with one-two combinations and a huge right hand that wobbled the California native. The clinch, usually a safe harbor for Diaz, offered no respite. A ground exchange at the end of the round led to an ankle lock attempt from Diaz, but Masvidal escaped as time expired.

Diaz connected with combinations of his own in the third, but Masvidal was always there to answer, grinning away any damage as soon as Diaz could inflict it. Diaz never went away, but the doctor took the decision out of his hands.

Diaz wasn't happy about it. Masvidal wasn't happy about it. The fans weren't happy about it, as the boos and chants of "bulls--t" rained down, but the outcome was the outcome.

It was an anticlimactic ending, but it shouldn't and doesn't overshadow what was a fun and entertaining main event—and not only that, but a fun and entertaining concept.

"Don't be booing me," a frustrated Masvidal said after the fight. "I'm not the f--king doctor."

"Yeah, it sucked," an even more frustrated Diaz told Rogan a moment later. "I didn't think they were gonna stop it. It was just getting started. ... I wasn't even going to start pushing until Round 4."

"Without a doubt, run it back," Diaz said.

Rogan then offered an unsolicited suggestion of Las Vegas as the possible setting of such a rematch. Given the interest around the match, a rematch seems like a virtual lock no matter where it happens.

And despite the ending, that interest—the sense of the thrill that Diaz and Masvidal provided—is the real story here.

It's a bit of unintentional self-commentary that this title—which, no matter how you feel about it, meets the exact definition of a contrivance—garnered as much as or more interest than any normative UFC championship in recent memory. And it's just as much of a testament to UFC brass that they leaned into the occasion, following the lead of Diaz, Masvidal and the fans, creating the physical strap and openly marketing the bout's BMF-ness. It was fun to see happen—unique in sports, actually—and the fight itself followed through to the hilt.

Diaz (20-11 entering the fight) was the established star between these two. Originally a cuter sidekick to older brother Nick, Nate came into his own 2016 after submitting Conor McGregor at UFC 196 on less than two weeks' notice.

"I'm not surprised, motherf--kers," Diaz famously intoned after pulling the upset on McGregor, who was undefeated in seven prior UFC contests and his last 15 overall. (McGregor returned the favor five months later to even the series.)

The bloom is off the McGregor rose, at least for the moment. His loss a year ago to Khabib Nurmagomedov, a series of run-ins with the law and a protracted spate of wolf-crying over his UFC return have dampened audience enthusiasm. That could change in a Dublin minute (if Dublin minutes are fast), but in the meantime, Diaz has shown solid staying power independent of what he did to McGregor.

Masvidal (34-13 entering Saturday) first fought as a pro in 2003, one scant decade after UFC 1. It's almost impossible not to root for Masvidal, who learned how to fight in backyard brawls on the bad side of Miami. But his early career was stymied by self-inflicted wounds, namely a tendency to play to the level of his competition and take his foot off the gas at critical moments. He was also on the wrong side of one of the great highlights in MMA history, Toby Imada's unreal inverted triangle choke. 

Through it all, Masvidal was talented, tough and quotable enough to earn bigger and better chances, which culminated in his victory Saturday.

Like Diaz, Masvidal has an underlying likability despite his status as a cool customer. He keeps his nose clean, plays the game and appears to value his fans and the career his hard work and talent have provided.

Those two sides of the coin—badassery and likability—are the ingredients of a true BMF.

In that way, there were no losers Saturday night. Both men will certainly have more chances from here.

As the rematch takes shape, the worst thing anyone could do is try to recreate this lightning in a bottle. McGregor has already (semi-seriously) thrown his hat in the ring for a "coolest motherf--ker" belt. How about a Damn Hard Worker belt? Or a Little Asskicker belt for the smaller weight classes? How about a This Man Don't Take S--t title? They don't have the same ring, do they?

No, let's stop it here. Please. Let a great thing just exist. This will never be approximated and no one should try.

Then again, the UFC has done plenty more for plenty less, and almost everyone follows the money at the end of the day. Here's hoping, though.

In the meantime, even though the ending wasn't fun, Diaz and Masvidal made MMA fun again. They're two natural fighters and two talented guys who are more approachable than their exteriors might suggest. They are the fighters MMA fans need.

Continuing this story, even under these circumstances, should be more than welcome.

     

Scott Harris is a feature writer for Bleacher Report.