The UFC isn’t going to run short of stars anytime soon. The strategy used to run the company is such that good fighters keep coming out every year. The organization that was once graced by the likes of Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Jon Jones, and more on a consistent basis is now dominated by new-age stars.
However, none of the above-mentioned superstars are officially retired. While Conor was slated to fight at the UFC 303, but couldn’t due to a toe injury, Jones is awaiting his next fight confirmation. Diaz, however, is a free agent. The Stockton legend last fought at the UFC 279 against Tony Fergusen, winning the fight in the fourth round via submission.
His last fight was in September 2022. Diaz has since forayed into boxing. His first fight in the relatively new territory was against former YouTuber and influencer Jake Paul in August 2023. Diaz lost the fight in 10 rounds. The UFC legend fought a familiar name in his next boxing event. Diaz matched up against Jorge Masvidal in July 2024 and won.
Over the last few years, there has been a lot of speculation about Diaz’s return to the octagon. Initially, the 39-year-old didn’t show any interest in coming back, but recently, he’s been dropping hints of a comeback. Now, Diaz isn’t going to simply return for a fight on a card spearheaded by someone else.
He left the game in 2022 on a high note, defeating one of the all-time greats and winning the Performance of the Night. So, what will it take to make Diaz come back to the octagon? The UFC legend recently revealed his major requirement.
Nate Diaz will return if the belt is on the line
Diaz was recently interviewed by Full Violence. He said that he thinks there’s still some fight left in him. More importantly, he doesn’t consider the current status as his final legacy. He said, “I think it’s underrated, and I think there’s like f**king I think I left more of an impact than a lot of these f*cking, anybody has, really.”
The 39-year-old acknowledged that there are only two other people who have a legacy like his: Conor McGregor and his brother Nick Diaz. “I mean, Conor [McGregor] has in a way, and then you get like, my brother did – but all that sh*t gets forgotten about too,” he added.
“Well, everybody’s boring right now, so I’m trying to do other sh*t for the moment. But like, I want to go back and get a UFC title. I don’t want to fight for nothing, you know? I want to fight for something.”
Diaz also thinks that the UFC is full of “boring” fighters right now. This is also a reason why he’s hesitant to come back. Diaz doesn’t want to fight against boring fighters. However, if his condition is fulfilled, he might consider making a comeback.
Prateek is a seasoned content writer with over 2500 published articles and two+ years of experience. His passion for UFC was ignited during Conor McGregor’s meteoric rise, and closely following McGregor’s journey inspired him to bring a sharp, fan-driven perspective to his UFC coverage, blending detailed analysis with compelling storytelling.
