Whether or not Nate Diaz gets booked for the final fight of his current UFC contract, it appears he could soon be free from the promotion.
Diaz (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC) has been very vocal about his desire to fight out his last remaining bout so he can move on as soon as possible. He believes the UFC is holding him “hostage” and dragging its feet so he can’t explore other ventures.
This past weekend, UFC president Dana White shot down that notion and said he is actively trying to secure Diaz a logical fight. If the process takes much longer, though, Diaz could simply walk away.
ESPN’s Marc Raimondi reported on Monday that Diaz is approaching a “sunset clause” on his contract before the end of the year. The report stated Diaz’s contract expires “sometime in the fall, potentially before November.”
Although the UFC has been able to extend fighter contracts in perpetuity, an unknown number of deals in recent years have included an expiration date. Former two-division UFC champ Georges St-Pierre has stated his contract length was five years from the time he signed after returning from retirement at UFC 217.
If Diaz’s agreement does, in fact, include such terms, it could force the UFC brass to book him sooner than later or risk Diaz leaving the company for nothing.
