Leaked emails on Nate Diaz's contract prove a "conspiracy theory" about UFC to be true, says former champion
In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez brought attention to leaked emails, hinting at the UFC's purported efforts to undermine Nate Diaz following his refusal to accept a contract offer.
Alvarez, who departed the UFC in 2018 to join One Championship, attributed his exit to the UFC's business model, underscoring the lucrative nature of the multinational combat sports promotion offer.
The leaked communications, emerging against the backdrop of a Class Action lawsuit against the UFC, unveil a strained relationship between Nate Diaz and the promotion.
In an alleged shocking email exchange, matchmaker Joe Silva suggested a familiar UFC tactic, suggesting that if the offer gets rejected, the consequence involves arranging a preliminary bout for Nate Diaz's fight against a formidable opponent.
During his conversation with Ariel Helwani, Eddie Alvarez contended that the leaked emails about Diaz's contract seemingly substantiate a "conspiracy theory." These revelations, according to him, further fan the flames of the ongoing allegations against the UFC for employing alleged dubious tactics to monopolize the market and inadequately compensate its athletes:
"That's [email exchanges] are important for up-and-coming fighters who want to be in this business for them to understand that if you're not cooperative what the conversation is in the board room. They are the real conversations that are being had about you, the fighter."
"Them emails are so like... Boom in your face! It's talked about, I guess it's a conspiracy theory, but now we see that this is how they speak about us [fighters] when we're not around."
Catch Eddie Alvarez's comments below:
When Nate Diaz voiced his frustration with the UFC claiming that they're 'holding him hostage'
Before he could exit from the UFC on amicable terms, Nate Diaz expressed his frustration with the organization, accusing them of holding him hostage amid a widely publicized contract dispute.
Despite having one fight remaining on his deal, Diaz and the promotion were unable to reach an agreement on his next opponent, leaving the 37-year-old fighter in a state of limbo.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Diaz emphasized his desire to break free from his contractual obligations, stating:
“I was trying to get this s*** on the road, but they don’t want me out of contract and they’re keeping me in there and they’re holding me hostage. And I want out. That’s my main objective here."
Check out Diaz speaking about his previous UFC contract below (8:00 onwards):
The UFC ended up booking Diaz to fight undefeated welterweight behemoth Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279. However, Chimaev missed weight for the contest and Diaz ended up fighting Tony Ferguson, ultimately emerging triumphant via fourth-round submission in the last fight on his UFC contract.