Nate Diaz isn't interested in a trilogy bout with Conor McGregor, and would prefer to be cut from the UFC than make it happen.
That's according to the fighter's close friend Yancy Medeiros, who believes that Diaz is more concerned with his freedom to go and make big money fights elsewhere than he is with facing the Irishman again.
The pair had an infamous feud in 2016 that saw them both pick up wins over one another, but despite major pay-per-view interest, promotional boss Dana White was never keen on the match-up. And now Diaz has publicly asked to be let go from the UFC in order to pursue other avenues.
"I think Nate is just popping off to make trouble," Medeiros explained of Diaz's tweet calling for his UFC release. "I think the UFC have got to make him an offer he can't refuse or else he's going to fight out his contract.
"How come he's telling UFC he'll fight Dustin and Dustin said he'll fight him but they're not making it happen? It's a great fight that would do views, but it's got to be more. Nate wants to fight his contract out because he wants to be a free agent.
"Why won't they let him fight the contract out? You can connect the dots and cross the 't's, dot the 'i's."
When it comes to the McGregor fight, the UFC would only offer it if it meant that Diaz committed to further fights with them. White has consistently said he doesn't want fighters he built into stars moving to boxing only to lose to the likes of Paul.
But Diaz isn't interested, also turning down a fight with Poirier earlier this year, likely due to the stipulations a UFC contract would add.
"I don't think he wanted that," Medeiros continued, before comparing Diaz to Tyron Woodley. The former welterweight champion twice made purses considerably higher than his best-paid world title fights for boxing YouTuber Jake Paul.
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And despite losing both, the second one by way of an humiliating knockout in the sixth round, Medeiros argues that Woodley's stock is now higher as a free agent. "Nate just wanted to get out because look at what all the other fighters are doing," he continued. "Tyron Woodley and the rest are marketing their business and opening their brand.
"It's not about boxing and doing that, it's about widening their brand. Regardless of if Tyron Woodley won or lost, how much YouTube fans know that dude now? His fanbase is huge now.
"Maybe he doesn't even need fights now, maybe he can go and do something else. It may be entertaining to people, he's going to have people watching him just like how like watching Jake Paul and seeing him win or lose. It's not about fighting any more, these guys know they are the best and now they want to be paid their worth."
