Diaz Left Hanging As UFC Aims For Masvidal Vs. Covington

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The much hyped 2021 return of the Diaz brothers may go the way of Kony 2012 if something big doesn’t change in the UFC’s attitude towards Nick and Nate.

Just a few weeks ago it was looking like 2021 was going to be the year of the Diaz Brothers, a time where we’d finally get to see Nick and Nate Diaz competing at the same time again. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like the UFC is particularly interested in making that happen.

Following UFC 253, Dana White was asked about a mysterious video Nate had put up on his Instagram that was basically a hype roll for fights in 2021. Rumor had it Jorge Masvidal and/or the UFC was looking into a BMF Belt rematch with the younger Diaz brother for January. Nate captioned the clip ‘Round 4,’ an allusion to the round he never got to fight against Masvidal at UFC 244 due to doctor’s stoppage.

“I don’t even know if we talked to Nate yet,” White revealed regarding the status of a BMF 2 battle. He had a similarly flat non-answer that didn’t inspire confidence regarding the return of Nate’s brother Nick as well.

White also sounded like he’d prefer Jorge Masvidal face Colby Covington over Nate Diaz, which is certainly a big fight with big beef … but stylistically likely to end up another wrestle-fest that will see “Gamebred” fighting to avoid takedowns rather than swangin’ them fists.

“How do you not make that fight? That’s the fight that makes sense,” White said. “The Nate Diaz rematch is going to be there no matter what happens.”

This must be frustrating for Nate to hear. He’s also got a trilogy fight with Conor McGregor ‘there no matter what happens.’ His two fights with McGregor were some of the biggest money making events in UFC history, ditto the Masvidal fight. Yet there is absolutely no urgency or seeming interest from White to get Diaz back in the cage.

We don’t blame the UFC for not being particularly interested in a BMF rematch between Masvidal and Diaz. That fight was done. Masvidal won it handily (although there is something to be said about Diaz coming in with an injured knee and losing off a cut that re-opened from his Pettis fight). But the continued indifference towards sorting something — anything — out there for Nate? As White likes to say, he should have his promoter’s license revoked.