Nate Diaz teases a December return to fight out his current UFC contract
Nate Diaz dropped a cryptic message about his next – and possibly final –appearance in the UFC octagon.
The welterweight star simply tweeted, "December" in what appears to be a teaser of his in-cage return before the year ends. UFC president Dana White confirmed that Diaz only has one fight left on his current contract. It's also widely reported that the octagon bad-boy won't sign an extension, which likely indicates he will look for opportunities beyond the UFC.
December
This wasn't the first time Diaz has hinted at a late-2021 comeback. In September, 'The Stockton Slugger' posted a photo on Instagram with the caption, "November December." Right now, though, it appears that Diaz has narrowed down his options.
There are currently three events listed on the UFC's December calendar – one pay-per-view and two Fight Night events. If Diaz's return does indeed take place in December, UFC 269 is the most sensible stage to host it.
The PPV card is in need of another big star as it has lost a marquee matchup between Leon Edwards and Jorge Masvidal. 'Gamebred' was forced to withdraw from the fight due to an undisclosed injury.
Who will Nate Diaz fight next?
There hasn't been an announcement regarding Nate Diaz's next fight but a couple of welterweights appear to be the front-runners.
Chael Sonnen posted a video on Twitter to reveal that Diaz went to him for advice as he was zeroing in on two potential opponents. In the video, Sonnen, who claims to be "in the inner circle of Nate Diaz," said Vicente Luque and Tony Ferguson are the two choices.
The former UFC middleweight also revealed what Nate Diaz's plans are after departing the UFC. He revealed:
"This is all about Jake Paul – Nate going and boxing Jake Paul. But why [does he] wanna do that with Luque? And said, 'Well, you know those are the types of matchups I like to do.' And he said, 'Chael, what do you think about Tony Ferguson?' My first thought about Ferguson was that he's a [155-pounder]. My other thought on Tony Ferguson was, 'Nate, what in the heck has taken so long?' That will be one of the most massive fights."
Story Time with Uncle Chael featuring @NateDiaz209 https://t.co/19g0c1Q5kH
It's also been reported that UFC president Dana White is keen to book Diaz against rising star Khamzat Chimaev. However, Diaz doesn't appear to be on board with the idea of fighting 'Borz.'