Nate Diaz’s UFC contract was terminated earlier this month following a victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279. Bellator MMA has already started talks with the Stockton star.
Head of Bellator, president Scott Coker confirmed.
Prior to the promotion’s travel to Ireland on Friday, Bellator President Scott Coker disclosed the information in an interview with the BBC.
Coker told BBC Sport,
“Well, we are definitely talking to him. We’ve reached out and I know he’s probably talking to everybody. He’s, I think, in a pretty good situation.”
“ I know he wants to fight Jake Paul. Jake Paul’s fighting, you know, against Anderson Silva on Showtime pay-per-view, which is our home network, so there’s some synergies here.”
At UFC 279, Diaz (21-13) used a guillotine choke to submit Tony Ferguson. This gave him his first victory since 2019. As is now well known, Khamzat Chimaev was initially scheduled to compete against Diaz. However, due to a significant weight miss, the promotion had to move Ferguson up to the main event.
Nate Diaz appeared to end his tenure in the UFC on good terms with the brass.
Rogan delivered an all time classic interview with Diaz in the end:
I’m here with the winner, Nate Diaz, ladies and gentlemen. How about a round of applause for a legend? Nate, it was a world fight between two real veterans.
What was it like coming into this fight today? After all the chaos of this week, particularly yesterday.
Diaz: A full blown, full blown wrestling fight camp? I didn’t do no boxing, so we made that happen.
Rogan: What what did you think? Like what was going through your mind when Khamzat came in so overweight and then the negotiation is to take this fight.
Diaz: I was like, this is such a b*tch ass rookie. I ain’t even worried about no b*tch ass rookie.
Rogan: Was there any concern whatsoever about switching opponents?
Diaz: No, I’m just here to get my job done. I had one fight left. I told him. I told him after not letting me fight, like, forever. Like, give me anybody, you got. And at least I got a worthy OG representative to do it on.
Rogan: Absolutely. Absolutely. Nate, this was the last fight on your contract. What happens now? You obviously loved by everyone, and we would love to have you stay around. But what’s in your mind?
Diaz: All I know there’s been a love hate relationship with me and the UFC , the whole time I’ve been in this f*cking in this organization. But at the end of the day, I love the UFC. Shout out to Dana White, Lorenzo Fertita and Hunter Campbell for giving the opportunities and the platform the whole time. For everybody and for myself, I feel like I’m the most. Right now, I feel like I’ve had the longest career in the UFC and I’ve had the most successful one and everybody, and I outdid everybody on pay and I get everybody on surviving. And I want to, I want to get out of the UFC for a minute and show these UFC 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 and none of these other fighters know how to do it. So I’m going to go I’m going to go out there and I’m going to take over another work, another or another profession, and become the best at that show.
Everybody, I’m the best of that and have them be right the f*ck back here to get a motherf*cking UFC title, the best title in the world.
Rogan: Are you talking about boxing? Are you talking about leaving the UFC and going to boxing?
Diaz: I’m just going to show a show. Everybody had to own another sport. So all you motherfuckers out there trying to run the other sport, boxing, kickboxing, jiu jitsu are there. I may ordinations if you think you’re the tough creme de la creme right here. I’m coming for you.