"Scott Coker would be foolish not to talk to him"- Josh Thomson speculates about the possibility and conditions under which Nate Diaz would enter Bellator MMA
Nate Diaz recently became a free agent after his contract with the UFC expired. His fight against Tony Ferguson at the main event of UFC 279 was the final fight of his contract. It saw the Stockton native take home a submission victory over 'El Cucuy'.
On a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, Josh Thomson weighed in on Diaz's options following his departure from the UFC. 'The Punk' believes that the Stockton native might join Bellator MMA if the contract allows him to pursue his boxing aspirations in addition to fighting in the promotion.
Thomson also stated that Jake Paul could face Diaz after his fight with Anderson Silva on October 29:
"Scott Coker would be foolish not to talk to him and see if there is a potential of him coming to fight [in Bellator]. One thing that I can say is that if he was to come that there would obviously be something in there that says he can fight MMA and he can fight boxing. There would be no guidelines on where he went to fight. Just remember, when Jake Paul has a contract with Showtime Boxing.
"So that fight with Anderson Silva will be on Showtime. Now you have got Jake Paul who still, I believe, has got one or two fights left. I think at least one more left and you will potentially have Nate Diaz vs Jake Paul in boxing on Showtime. Now if they were able to do a deal with Nate Diaz to fight in Bellator or to coincide with his boxing on Showtime, it's not too far fetched."
You can check out the full episode of the Weighing In podcast below:
Bellator boss Scott Coker eyeing free agent Nate Diaz
After securing an impressive win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279, welterweight star Nate Diaz has finally exhausted his fights under the current contract with the UFC. Ending his time with the promotion, the Stockton native is now looking for a deal.
15 years and 27 fights... an iconic UFC career for the legend @NateDiaz209 👏
#UFC279 https://t.co/3CyTNNuw0K
In a post-fight presser at Bellator 285, the promotion's president Scott Coker spoke of his intentions to sign the welterweight veteran. Speaking of the possibility of signing the fighter, Coker said:
"Well here's the thing. My guys reached out to the [Diaz] management and their manager came back and said, 'Look, he still has an exclusive negotiation period'. And so, let's see how that plays out."
Check out Scott Coker express his interest in signing Nate Diaz in the video below: