"He's scared" - Nate Diaz responds to Ali Abdelaziz offering him Vicente Luque as potential next opponent

Nate Diaz (left), Ali Abdelaziz (right) [Images Courtesy: @natediaz209 and @aliabdelaziz000 on Instagram]

Despite a number of call-outs from high-profile fighters in the welterweight division, it appears Nate Diaz is struggling to find a suitable rival. Diaz has hinted at a late 2021 return for the final fight of his current contract with the UFC. The Stockton native could perhaps be considering free agency or a switch over to boxing but hasn't mentioned anything regarding the same.

Presently, he seems unable to find an opponent for fighting out his current UFC contract. MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz shared a tweet confirming his client Vicente Luque's availability, fueling speculation that the latter could challenge Diaz to a potential fight.

@VicenteLuqueMMA don’t have fight twitter.com/NateDiaz209/st…

Nate Diaz has since taken to Instagram Stories to respond to the Dominance MMA CEO. Diaz's post read:

"HE'S SCARED AND SO ARE YOU. ALL UR GUYS ARE. ALL"

Screenshot of Nate Diaz's response to Ali Abdelaziz on his Instagram story

Apart from Vicente Luque, Irish superstar Conor McGregor and rising UFC prospect Khamzat Chimaev have also expressed an interest in fighting Nate Diaz in the imminent future. With 'The Notorious' recovering from a leg injury and 'Borz' targeting a fight with reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, Diaz doesn't seem to have a lot of options at the moment.

It is unknown if the UFC veteran intends to re-sign with the company or test free agency. White has not disclosed any details on potential negotiations with the Stockton slugger.

Josh Thomson claims Nate Diaz will fight Jake Paul after next UFC fight

Speaking on episode 195 of the Weighing In podcast, Diaz's former rival and respected MMA insider Josh Thomson explained that Nate Diaz could be headed to the boxing ring post his next UFC bout. Thomson said:

“I want you guys all to know this. He [Nate Diaz] is leaving the UFC and he’s fighting Jake Paul. Just stop, okay? This is his last fight. He’s not fighting in the UFC anymore. He’s going to leave and he’s going to fight Jake Paul.”

Watch the full episode below:

Jake Paul has previously expressed interest in a boxing fight with Nate Diaz, and it's quite likely that the fight will happen after Nate's next UFC outing.

Nate Diaz was last seen in action at UFC 263 against Leon Edwards, a fight that he lost via unanimous decision after five rounds. Diaz has been largely inactive in recent years and is currently on a two-fight skid with a loss to Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal. His most recent win was against former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis which came via unanimous decision at UFC 241 in 2019.

Jake Paul recently claimed that he'd beat Nate Diaz 'into a pulp' if they meet in the ring.

Jake Paul predicted how a fight between him and Nate Diaz would play out 🔮 https://t.co/QxkeHXgYyJ