"He could get it too" - When Nate Diaz ripped into Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson after BMF title loss against Jorge Masvidal
Nate Diaz memorably sounded off on Dwayne Johnson (also known by his professional wrestling stage name, The Rock) after his fight against Jorge Masvidal.
The UFC 244 event on Nov. 2, 2019, was headlined by a high-profile welterweight MMA matchup between Masvidal and Diaz for the UFC's inaugural symbolic BMF title. Heading into the showdown, WWE and Hollywood megastar Dwayne Johnson featured in the promotions as a special guest who'd present the belt to the winner.
On the night, Masvidal emerged victorious via third-round TKO (doctor stoppage), owing to a cut sustained by Diaz over his right eye. Following that, Johnson presented the BMF belt to 'Gamebred'.
During the UFC 244 post-fight press conference, Nate Diaz suggested that Dwayne Johnson, being from Miami, akin to Jorge Masvidal, wasn't an unbiased figure in the equation. He alluded that The Rock wasn't a legitimate combat athlete and that the UFC should've roped in boxing icon Mike Tyson for the role. Diaz stated:
"He's on that side. F**k him. I'm on the West Coast side. Mike Tyson should've been here anyway. He's the baddest man on the planet, right? He should've been the one. He should've been the one over here. I'm on here [*unintelligible] on The Rock, huh?"
Watch the post-fight press conference below:
Diaz smiled, laughed, and added:
"You guys caught me under a bad time. But. You know what I'm saying? The Rock's cool. I like 'Ballers.' But he picked the wrong side. He picked another side. So, he can get it too. He can get his a** whooped too. Straight up. With all due respect, he could get it too."
When asked whether it was Dwayne Johnson smiling at Jorge Masvidal that made him believe that he supported 'Gamebred,' Nate Diaz reiterated that the WWE great is from Miami like Masvidal. Noting that he knew The Rock would be on his hometown fighter's side, Diaz jestingly asserted, "You on his side. F** you."
Check out Diaz's comments below:
The Rock's response: When Dwayne Johnson addressed Nate Diaz's criticism
In an edition of Ariel Helwani's MMA Show after UFC 244 in 2019, Dwayne Johnson implied that he wasn't offended by Nate Diaz's expletive-laden jabs against him. The Rock explained that Diaz likely knew that he and Masvidal shared a close connection courtesy of their Miami roots. Insinuating that he respects the Stockton native's genuineness, Johnson said:
“I wasn’t surprised at Nate’s comments because that’s the Nate that we all know and love. He is as advertised. Nate, he gets it."
Watch Johnson's assessment below (6:57):
Presently, it's believed that Dwayne Johnson will return to the WWE ring to compete in a long-awaited match against his cousin Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 in April 2024.
Meanwhile, Masvidal, who retired from MMA in April 2023, and Diaz, who left the UFC in September 2022, are rumored to be clashing in a boxing match later this year. Nevertheless, that's yet to be officially confirmed or denied.