5 potential Nate Diaz fights that have likely passed us by

Nate Diaz is likely to leave the UFC after his next fight

Nate Diaz is undoubtedly one of the biggest draws in the UFC right now. A huge fan favorite, the Stockton native is known for his durability and resilience inside the octagon and his brazen and outspoken nature outside the cage.

Diaz has the ability to turn a fight on its head even after seemingly getting touched up until the very end of the three or five scheduled rounds.

The 37-year-old has just one fight left on his current UFC contract and it doesn't seem like he is willing to extend the same. While he's been seeking a fight for quite some time now, the UFC is reluctant to give him what he wants.

Nate Diaz continues to plea for a fight. 😤

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The Stockton native is rumored to fight Khamzat Chimaev down the line, but the fight is yet to be announced officially. He previously claimed that Chimaev refused to accept the fight, citing injury. Although nothing is confirmed yet, UFC president Dana White recently said that it would make for an interesting matchup.

With clouds of uncertainty hovering over Diaz's future inside the octagon, it remains unclear whether we will even see him fight again. Even if we do, it is most likely going to be the last fight of his UFC career. If that is the case, and it seems like it will be, there are some dream fights that fans will be missing out on.

Let's take a look at five such fights featuring Nate Diaz that have not happened over the years.

#5 Nate Diaz vs. Tony Ferguson

Tony Ferguson (left) and Nate Diaz (right)

Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson are two of the most popular fighters in UFC history. 'El Cucuy' previously went on a 12-fight winning streak in the UFC but his run was ended by Justin Gaethje. Since then, Ferguson has lost three more fights in a row, against Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush, and Michael Chandler respectively.

Diaz, on the other hand, has lost three of his last four fights inside the octagon. With neither fighter in the title picture right now, it would have made sense for the promotion to book this fun matchup between the two fan-favorites.

Both Ferguson and Diaz are known for their durability, resilience, and never-give-up attitude every time they step inside the cage.

They are also adept at both striking and grappling, and on the face of it, it'd be an intriguing fight, probably too close to call. After Nate Diaz seemingly challenged the entire UFC roster recently by asking for a fight, Ferguson responded, likely insinuating his eagerness to fight the Stockton native.

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At this stage of their careers, it's a fight that makes sense for both men, but the UFC is reluctant to book Diaz in a fight until he extends his contract with the promotion.

For now, it seems like another dream matchup for fans that is unlikely to take place with just one fight remaining on the 37-year-old's contract and Diaz unwilling to extend the same.