Lawsuit documents reveal Nate Diaz's previously undisclosed surprising UFC pay before making $2.8M against Conor McGregor
Former UFC fighter Nate Diaz has consistently maintained an enigmatic persona, even before he became a headline attraction on pay-per-view cards and achieved superstardom in the sport.
Despite his cult-like following, he did not make substantial financial gain until the Stockton native seized control of his career, orchestrating a high-stakes showdown against UFC star Conor McGregor.
Nate Diaz's two fights against McGregor at UFC 196 and UFC 202 rank among the organization's most successful pay-per-view events. It goes without saying that Nate Diaz earned well for his pivotal role in making these events a huge success.
However, recent lawsuit documents obtained by Bloody Elbow shed light on Diaz's previously undisclosed UFC earnings, revealing a surprising path to his massive $2.8 million payday against Conor McGregor.
While champions traditionally receive a share of pay-per-view (PPV) revenue, the Diaz brothers, Nick and Nate, took divergent routes to their notable paydays.
Diaz's disclosed purses tell a story of perseverance, from a meager pay of $56,000 to fight Rafael dos Anjos to an astounding $2,838,158 in his first clash with McGregor.
Notably, Diaz earned a reported $20,000 to show and an additional $20,000 as win money for his fight against Michael Johnson before he called out Conor McGregor, underscoring the challenging financial path he navigated before his breakthrough.
During the UFC 196 press conference, McGregor mocked Diaz for these figures, especially when the Stockton native pointed out that McGregor would be earning more fighting him than he would have against Rafael Dos Anjos, McGregor's original opponent for UFC 196.
The figures indicate that Diaz's notable purses came late in his career, with a disclosed purse of $2,050,000 for the Conor McGregor rematch. Additionally, sources reveal a Letter of Agreement (LOA) providing an additional $40,000, undisclosed to the athletic commission or the public.
Jorge Masvidal claims he would "break" Nate Diaz in a boxing clash
Former UFC welterweight title challenger Jorge Masvidal, who retired from MMA earlier this year, expressed an interest in trying his hand at professional boxing.
Speaking in a recent interview on The MMA Hour, Masvidal admitted his desire to explore the pure, unadulterated action in boxing.
Despite still being under UFC contract, Masvidal revealed he would require permission to pursue any boxing endeavors. The veteran fighter criticized the boxing skills of MMA crossovers like former opponent Nate Diaz, asserting he would "hurt" the Stockton native. Masvidal stated:
“I’d hurt them dudes [Jake Paul and Nate Diaz]... Bad! I was there live. I saw it. It’s a different speed. Nate’s seen it. You can ask him. You can ask him about the speed. And if Jake was having trouble [with Nate], you know what I’d do to Jake?”
Catch Masvidal's comments below (from 8:40):