Nate Diaz eyes UFC return, names Ilia Topuria as one of his targets
MMA legend and former UFC star Nate Diaz is eyeing a return to the promotion after nearly three years away from the sport. The younger Diaz brother has fought the best of the best in the UFC, becoming one of the most sought-after fighters in history.
While he never won UFC gold, it can be argued that Diaz reached a level of fame that surpasses most UFC champions in history. This is why, even after being away for nearly three years, the Stockton native can confidently say he'll make a return and even have the impetus to choose his next foe.
ACD MMA reported on Diaz's plans on X:
"🚨 Nate Diaz says he wants to return to the UFC and fight Ilia Topuria: 'I plan on going back to UFC, if they’ll have me. I want to whoop someone’s a*s'"
On who he wants to fight on his return, Diaz was reported to say:
"'I would like to fight that other guy, Topuria. He’s really good but he’s smaller than me." (via @HJRPodcast)
Nate Diaz and Jake Shields got involved in a massive brawl in Thailand
One of the most talked-about stories surrounding Nate Diaz at the moment is his involvement in a brawl on the set of ALF Reality, a competition-based reality show pegged to be Russia's version ofThe Ultimate Fighter.
Set in Thailand, the brawl happened when the fighters were getting introduced to the coaches, Nate Diaz and UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones. One fighter, known to be a chaotic loose cannon, came at Diaz aggressively, prompting the UFC icon to give him a taste of the famous "Stockton Slap".
Diaz's long-time teammate and friend, former UFC and Strikeforce fighter Jake Shields, narrated the incident in a YouTube video. When he tried to take down the fighter who tried to come at Diaz, Shields was attacked himself.
Shields said:
"I went to mount him. I was pissed off at that point. I was trying to make an example with this guy so fighters would stop testing us. And right when I started to go off on him, I got just blitzed from the side..So a couple of guys started blitzing me, which to me seemed like they were a crew working there not the fighters."
Shields said that after the brawl, he and Diaz decided to just leave the show and Thailand altogether.
Check out Jake Shields' comments below (17:54):