UFC President Dana White hopes to get Nate Diaz back in the octagon again this year after being without a fight all year 2020.
Diaz (20-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC), “The Ultimate Fighter 5 ″ winner and one of the most notable names on the UFC roster, has been quiet about his future plans in recent months.
White said he also has no firm plans for the one-time UFC title challenger. Ideally, that would change somewhere in 2021, but he knows with Diaz’s unpredictable nature, nothing is certain.
“I hope so (he’s fighting this year),” White told Laura Sanko during a recent ESPN + Q&A. “I hope so. I want to see him fight. I do not count on it, but I would like to see him fight.”
Diaz has not competed since losing the BMF title fight to Jorge Masvidal, by doctor strike TKO in November 2019 at UFC 244. Before that, he achieved a unanimous victory over Anthony Pettis in August 2019.
There have been brief discussions about a Diaz re-launch with Masvidal at the end of 2020 or early 2021, but the promotion seems to have moved away from the idea.
White has been asked if we can see Diaz return for an expected trilogy with rival Conor McGregor, who will fight Dustin Poirier in the UFC 257 main event on January 23rd. I do not make much promise that this will happen within the next 12 months.
“Probably not,” White said.