Nate Diaz's UFC contract is set to expire in November if the promotion fail to get him a fight in time.
That's according to ESPN, who report he will be allowed to leave the UFC without fulfilling the obligation for one more fight which his current contract stipulates. Diaz has been vocal about his desire to leave the promotion, and believes he is being "held hostage" in order to stop his earning potential.
There are a number of huge money offers for Diaz outside of the UFC, most notably a boxing match with YouTube star Jake Paul. The social media sensation has been pushing for a fight with the legendary MMA fighter for years, and was expected to face him this year had he been able to get out of his contract in January or February.
Instead, Paul had to arrange a fight with Tommy Fury after Diaz was unable to wriggle out of the UFC in time. Fury ultimately pulled out of that bout at Madison Square Garden, and Paul is now set to face Hasim Rahman Jr on an August 6 date that Mirror Fighting understands was being tentatively eyed for Paul vs Diaz when he initially took a lengthy break from the ring in December.
Diaz has argued that he is being held "hostage" by the promotion, and insists that there is no amount of money that could get him to stay in the UFC. He was always a fan favourite in the MMA world, but shot to mainstream fame in 2016 when he defeated Conor McGregor in a short notice fight.
But he has been unable to capitalise on his massive earning potential since, losing their rematch and then being shelved for three years. He eventually returned to beat Anthony Pettis in 2019, and despite losses to Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards not denting his popularity, he has been able to fight just four times since his star-making win over McGregor.
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"My last fight was in June of 2021," he told Ariel Helwani in an explosive interview last week on The MMA Hour. "I've been working on it. I was trying, a month or two went by and I was ready to go. I've been trying to get this show on the road but they don't want me out of contract. They're keeping me in and holding me hostage, but I want out, that's my main objective here."
Dana White has hit back at the claim, insisting that Diaz is turning down fights. He was offered bouts against Khamzat Chimaev, but believes he is being iced until Conor McGregor will have a trilogy fight with him, which could be as late as next year.
“We can’t hold guys hostage,” White said during a press conference on Saturday night after UFC Long Island. “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 can I hold him hostage?
“What do you think my plans are? I’m going to get him a fight. I don’t know [when]. We’ll see what happens. I have to get him three fights a year. I offer fights, and he either accepts them or turns them down. Obviously I’m not paying him, so I’ve offered him fights."
