NATE Diaz knows the UFC want him to fight Conor McGregor again in a blockbuster rematch at UFC 202, but the Californian says he wants a fair deal on the table first.
Talking to Ariel Helwani on a special edition of The MMA Hour, Diaz chatted about the meeting with Dana White that was reported as a blowout by celebrity gossip site TMZ.
But Diaz explained that those headlines were somewhat overblown.
“That was exaggerated,” he said.
“We finished talking and then we walked out. It wasn’t the best meeting but it wasn’t the worst meeting either.”
Diaz, who made clear during the UFC 200 press conference that if he wasn’t going to fight McGregor on that event he’d head off on holiday, said he’s open to a rearranged fight, but wants a more favourable deal than what was initially offered, especially given the fact he defeated McGregor decisively – and on short notice – in the first encounter at UFC 196.
“I said that was one of the biggest fights you ever had on 10 days’ notice, and he’s the biggest draw you’ve ever had, and I just beat your biggest draw.
“So, if you don’t mind, I would like to be compensated better than I was the last time they were trying to offer me.
“It seems like this is a pretty big deal, so can I be compensated for this?
“They weren’t the happiest about that, but they’re not talking to me about it right now, so we’re working on it and we’re going to get it figured out.”
“I think they thought that this is the new deal, this is a new fight. That was UFC 200, this is UFC 202 now. I said yes to 200, and I wasn’t happy with it. I was rushed into the last thing anyway.”
And Diaz explained how he feels McGregor has benefited from the huge push he’s received from the UFC, whereas he has been left to build his reputation purely on his performances in the Octagon.
And as he explained, that’s also something he wants rectified before he puts pen to paper on a fight deal.
“Can I get built up a little better?” he said.
“Conor McGregor is artificial, they pushed him and he wasn’t whooping all types of a***s and s**t.
“They put me in, I’ve been in fight after fight, I didn’t do no media, I didn’t do no s**t.
“Now he’s where he’s at because the UFC kissed his a** and put him in gear and blew him up.
“How come he was such a big deal when he beat Dennis Siver? Who the f**k is Dennis Siver? Is that guy even ranked? I’m like, ‘get the f**k out of here!’
“My following is strictly from a** whooping and talking some s**t.
“And this motherf****r is on top of the world because the UFC wanted him to?”
But despite the fact that a deal couldn’t be done during that meeting, Diaz says he’s optimistic something could be agreed sooner rather than later, now everyone’s cards have been laid on the table during that Stockton summit.
“We went and took a picture by the mural that was downtown here, and then afterwards we talked a little more,” he explained.
“They were cool and I was cool and it was just business talk.
“It didn’t end on the happiest notes but I think stuff is getting done and stuff is moving forward.”
Watch the interview in full
Watch Ariel Helwani’s full-length interview with Nate Diaz on a special edition of The MMA Hour here (contains strong language:
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