Jorge Masvidal thinks brain damage is playing a factor in UFC rival Nate Diaz getting caught up in contractual issues with the promotion.
Diaz, 37, has been caught up in a contract row with the UFC since his last fight against Leon Edwards at UFC 263. With just one fight left on his deal, Diaz wants to book a fight and get out of the promotion as soon as possible.
The fan favourite was in talks to fight Dustin Poirier and rising star Khamzat Chimaev, but neither have come to fruition. Masvidal has backed the UFC in the contract dispute and claimed that Diaz is suffering from CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a form of brain damage that is caused by repeated blows to the head.
“I think he’s got too much CTE to even understand what they’re putting in front of him," Masvidal said on The MMA Hour. "Normally I don’t take the UFC’s side as you know, but from what I’ve heard and seen, this guy just has a f****ng ego bro.
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"Like just f****ng fight. I can send him off in his last fight with all that s*** talk he’s been doing lately. I wouldn’t mind breaking his jaw and sending him off to whatever gambling casino he’s going to be fighting at."
Masvidal won the the inaugural 'BMF' title against Diaz at UFC 244 in 2019 after the fight was stopped because of a cut to Diaz's face. The fight marked the last time Masvidal picked up a win in the UFC and he has welcomed a rematch with Diaz, but he doesn't think the Stockton native will fight him again.
“He won’t sign when my name gets brought up," Masvidal continued. "He goes ghost on Hunter [Campbell], he goes ghost on all the matchmakers for a couple of weeks when my name gets brought up.
"If he’s hearing this and he’s going to go make a little stupid tweet and go down the whole thing, b**** sign the paper and let’s fight man.”
Diaz posted a picture of himself "taking a p***" outside of the UFC HQ last month in a protest against the promotion. The former welterweight title challenger, who has refused to accept a trilogy with Conor McGregor, claims that he was keen on fighting Chimaev but the Chechen has delayed the bout after recently getting married.
"He [Chimaev] had visa issues, overweight and now his b**** a** is off getting married instead of fighting wtf," Diaz wrote. "I’m trying to get a fight with a real fighter asap/July."
