Nate Diaz took aim at Conor McGregor in his post-fight interview after submitting Tony Ferguson at UFC 279.
Diaz, 37, choked out Ferguson with a guillotine choke in the final fight of his UFC contract after his original booking against Khamzat Chimaev was axed. Both men had success in the fight as Diaz outboxing his fellow UFC veteran whilst Ferguson beat up his legs with kicks. Diaz's win marked his first in over three years having lost his previous two bouts against Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal.
Now a free agent after seeing out his UFC contract, Diaz teased a move to boxing whilst mocking Conor McGregor's loss to ring legend Floyd Mayweather in 2017. McGregor was pardoned from his UFC deal to fight former five-weight champion Mayweather in an illustrious crossover fight, with the Irishman being stopped in his only professional boxing fight to date
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“I want to get out of the UFC for a minute and show all these fighters how to take over and own up another sport how you’re supposed to do it because Conor McGregor didn’t know how to do it," Diaz said. "None of these other fighters know how to do it. So I’m going to go out there and I’m going take over another profession and become the best at that. Show everybody I’m the best at that and then I’m going to be right the f*** back here to get a motherf****** UFC title. The best title in the world."
Diaz kept the door open for a UFC return in the future and thanked Dana White despite their rocky relationship. "All I know it’s been a love-hate relationship with me and the UFC the whole time I’ve been in this organisation but at the end of the day, I love the UFC,” he said. “Shout out to Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and Hunter Campbell for giving me the opportunities and the platform for the whole time, for everybody and for myself."
McGregor and Diaz fought twice in 2016, with Diaz choking his rival out on 11 days notice before McGregor avenged the loss just months later. A fight between the pair could be made outside of the UFC next year, with McGregor's deal set to expire towards the end of 2023. McGregor replied to Diaz's comments by stating the UFC veteran is "nothing" without him.
"Ah come on bro I’m absolutely stinking," McGregor wrote. "And with so much quality. This has never been seen before what I’m doing man. Please, You're nothing with out me. Respect, please. I’d slap you around handy. And Tony easy. I’d have sawed Tony in half. 2 ham ball heads. Respect the king."
