Last Friday, UFC President Dana White held a press conference to announce multiple fights for some upcoming PPVs, including Nate Diaz's return to the octagon at UFC 230 against Dustin Poirier on November 3rd. White followed up that announcement by revealing that Conor McGregor would challenge lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in Las Vegas on October 6.
Diaz, who has not fought since August 2016, walked out of the event immediately when the McGregor vs Nurmagomedov hype video started to play and then tweeted, "I’m not fighting on that show fuk the @ufc." Since then, the 33-year old fighter has further hinted that his fight against Poirier is not a done deal.
In an interview with TMZ Sports on Tuesday, Diaz said "time will tell" when asked if he'll actually fight Poirier at Madison Square Garden in November. When asked if there is any specific fighter he wants to step in the octagon with, Diaz responded, "I don't want to fight anybody." Furthermore, he took to twitter again yesterday with another tweet presumably directed at White and the UFC which reads, "I can’t commit when they actin like shit...."
That said, Poirier spoke to ESPN about Diaz earlier this week and he seems to believe the UFC star will follow through with the fight.
”So long as he shows up November 3rd, you know? I’m not sure if he’s signed a contract yet, but he’s a guy that follows through,” said Poirier. “I don’t think him or his brother have ever pulled out of a fight with an injury or not shown up when they said they’d show up. What happens between fights and in the build-up of fights is another thing, but when he signs a contract and commits to a date, he’s always shown up.”
Assuming Diaz is just bluffing, it is believed that the winner of Diaz vs Poirier will challenge the winner of McGregor vs Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title at a later PPV.
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