Since his retirement in 2022, Nate Diaz has been watching the events in the UFC from the outside. However, the fighter feels he might still have one more fight left in him.
After his submission victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279, Diaz left the promotion and ventured into boxing. He suffered a loss to Jake Paul but redeemed himself in his battle with Jorge Masvidal. Since then, Diaz has remained out of the cage but frequently shares his opinions on UFC happenings. Recently, Diaz announced he might make a return, but he believes there is no worthy opponent to face.
“It’s about buzz and who’s popping and who’s doing something,” Diaz told *Full Violence* during a photoshoot. “Right now, there’s nobody doing shit in the UFC.”
“Everybody’s boring right now, so I’m trying to do other shit for the moment,” Diaz added. “But I want to go back and get a UFC title. I don’t want to fight for nothing—I want to fight for something. Right now, there’s not anybody that’s that [entertaining].
“Who’s the champion right now at 170? See, exactly—that’s what I’m saying. Why would I go back to the UFC right now to fight who? I’m the champion as far as that’s concerned.”
During the conversation, Diaz struggled to recall who currently holds the title, reinforcing his broader criticism of the UFC’s lack of star power.
“Nobody. That’s why I’m not in there right now,” Diaz said. “I’m watching, I’m hoping for something. There’s no buzz, nobody’s doing shit, there’s nobody to fight—everybody’s whack. Every single body, boxing and MMA.”
That said, the 39-year-old veteran isn’t giving up hope that something might eventually reignite his interest in returning to the UFC.
He didn’t specify a timeline for his return, but Diaz promises he’s not going anywhere because, in his eyes, there’s always more to prove in the fight game.
“I don’t think about it as done,” Diaz said of his legacy. “I think it’s underrated, and I think I left more of an impact than anybody really has. I think Conor [McGregor] has in a way, and then what my brother [Nick Diaz] did. ‘GSP’ (Georges St-Pierre), but that shit all gets forgotten about, too.
“It can’t go away because you ain’t getting credit to begin with anyway, so you may as well keep that shit going forever. That’s why I plan on fighting forever.”
Despite his ventures outside the octagon, Diaz feels his UFC legacy remains unfinished. However, for now, he plans to stay on the sidelines until a worthy opponent steps forward.
