"I believe I'm kickstarting" - Chris Avila confirms he'll represent Nate Diaz's Real Fight Inc. in Doctor Mike boxing match
Former UFC and Bellator fighter Chris Avila has confirmed that he's going to be the first fighter to represent Nate Diaz's new MMA promotion Real Fight Inc.
Avila (8-9) is a Stockton-born fighter who last appeared in the UFC in 2016. He fought twice in the organization, losing to Artem Lobov and Enrique Barzola.
The American then lost his next three fights in multiple promotions before landing in Bellator and picking up a win to put an end to his five-fight skid. Avila lost his next two fights and went on to compete in the Northern Iowa Fights promotion.
Avila will swap the cage for the squared circle next and is set to face social media star Dr. Mike later this year. The pair will go head-to-head on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva. It will be the first fight promoted by Nate Diaz's Real Fight Inc. following the conclusion of his UFC contract.
Chris Avila recently appeared on Ariel Helwani's The MMA Hour to discuss his upcoming boxing match and future of Diaz's new promotion:
"I believe I'm kickstarting and I'll be the first fighter to represent Real Fight Inc. Right after this fight [On October 29], we've got plans and I'm going to be on a pretty big card with Real Fight Inc. There's some pretty big names that should be fighting on there so that's coming soon too."
Catch Avila's interview here:
Chael Sonnen has revealed the UFC might not be done with Nate Diaz
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has revealed details about UFC contracts that may mean fighters such as Nate Diaz aren't finished with the organization even after their contract expires.
Nate Diaz made his final walk to the octagon at UFC 279 when he faced Tony Ferguson in the main event earlier this month. The two veterans went to war and it was Diaz who came out victorious via fourth-round submission.
While most MMA fans now consider Diaz's time in the UFC to be over, Sonnen explained that there is an exclusivity clause in most contracts that lasts for three months. This means that Dana White and the UFC can still be in conversation with fighters even if they're approached by other promotions.
Scott Coker talks Nate Diaz.
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In a video on his YouTube channel, Sonnen said:
"Sometimes when that's [contract] done and you go out of your way, you’re like, 'Okay, I’ve exhausted the contract. I'm free.' Well, you are actually more susceptible at that point to start hearing and start seeing some of these other things...Now that Nate [Diaz] got what he wants with the exhaustion of his contract, there’s a reason that Dana puts that three months, the exclusivity. Dana's not done talking to Nate. Dana's not done talking to Francis Ngannou."
Catch the full video below: