‘I don’t think anybody should want to see Nick Diaz fight’ – Dana White dismisses 2021 comeback talk

It’s been almost a decade since Nick Diaz picked up a win in MMA. But, for a certain subset of MMA fandom, Stockton’s own still holds an undying place in their hearts. After all, still just 37-years-old, it seems as though there shouldn’t be any reason that Diaz would be physically unable to compete at a high level in mixed martial arts.

Diaz last fought in 2015, taking on middleweight legend Anderson Silva in a bout that had more the air of an exhibition than a high stakes contender’s fight. The ‘Spider’ won the bout by unanimous decision—the result later overturned to a ‘no contest’ due to a failed drug test. Since then, Diaz has largely left the combat sports world behind. But talk that he might be looking to make a return to the Octagon has persisted all along the way.

And that talk has only gotten louder in recent months, with Diaz’s manager, Kevin Mubenga teasing that there was a “99.999%” chance of the former Strikeforce champ fighting in 2021. Over on his YouTube channel, Nate even uploaded video of he and his brother training, part of what, Diaz’s manager claims has been a months long camp to get Nick back to fighting shape.

If that’s the sales pitch, however, UFC president Dana White has never sounded more than skeptical about the the whole idea of a Nick Diaz comeback. Speaking in a recent interview with the Schmo, White didn’t outright dismiss the idea, but downplayed any potential interest in seeing Diaz back in the Octagon again (transcript via Middle Easy).

“Everything that I see from Nick Diaz doesn’t look like Nick Diaz wants to or is ready to compete in this sport,” White said of the Diaz comeback reports. “This sport – even for Jon Jones, as good as Jon Jones is, you have to be 100 percent mentally, physically and emotionally ready to train, be ready for this and fight – and I just don’t think, I don’t know.

“I don’t think anybody should want to see Nick Diaz fight. Nick Diaz has been in a lot of wars, he’s accomplished a lot of great things in his career, he’s made a lot of money, he’s obviously super-famous. He’s gotten everything you could hope to get out of fighting. I just don’t know why, when I see his Instagram, why he would want to come back.”

In the time since Diaz last competed in Mixed Martial arts he and his brother have started their own supplement and CBD company with their “Game Up” line of products. Diaz also briefly tried his hand at event promotion way back in 2013, although WAR MMA closed after only one event. In his heyday, Diaz was a solid draw for the UFC, bringing in nearly a million buys as the B-side to Georges St. Pierre. But whether he can command the same interest, especially from White & Co., in 2020 remains to be seen.

‘It’s all a big gimmick’ – Dana White not interested in Paul bros calling out UFC talent

Among the major end-of-year stories to hit the combat sports world has been the rise of Jake and Logan Paul. The two YouTube personalities have turned their attention to the boxing world for a series of sideshow-esque fights with other pseudo-celebrities. And while the product of those bouts hasn’t been notable for the talent or technique on display, they’ve unquestionably found an invested audience—who want to see if the Pauls either humiliate or get humiliated by their opponents.

Off the back of that successful branding, the brothers have turned their attention to calling out MMA talents. Fighters like Ben Askren, Dillon Danis, and Conor McGregor have been targeted for potential crossover bouts. While two division champ Amanda Nunes made her own call-out for a fight against Jake. There’s clearly money to be made, with the younger Paul even offering $50 million to McGregor if the Irishman would be willing to step into the ring against him.

However, if fighters under UFC contract are hoping to get a piece of that action, it sounds like they’re going to have a lot of trouble convincing company president Dana White to buy in. In a recent interview with SHOUT! The Buffalo Football Podcast, White made it clear that he’s got zero interest doing business with either Jake or Logan Paul.

“The answer to that question is, who gives a (expletive)?” White said, when asked about the Paul Brothers (transcript via MMA Junkie). “Neither one of those guys can fight. It’s all a big gimmick. Like I said in a (recent) press conference, there’s a market for that. If people are dumb enough to spend their money watching that (expletive), I don’t know what to tell you. Good luck to them. I (couldn’t) care less what that guy (does). I get it. He’s trying to make some money and is doing his thing. There are people who want to spend money on that. I’m not that guy.”

While White seems to give little credence to the skills of either of the Paul brothers (even going so far as to suggest that Nunes would put Jake Paul “in a coma”), the UFC certainly hasn’t been averse to the occasional sideshow booking in the past. The promotion was more than happy to play host to James Toney – for his one-off MMA bout against Randy Couture – and to CM Punk—for his comically lopsided losses to Mickey Gall and Mike Jackson.

However, if the Pauls really do have $50 million to bandy about for a potential superfight, it would put them in position to dictate practically any and all terms they want at the bargaining table. And that, more likely than anything else, is going to stop White’s interest cold.

The MMA Depressed-us: 2020 year in review pt. 1

Back in May, the UFC returned from a brief hiatus due to the mounting pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. And the months since UFC 249 have provided a more-or-less non-stop thrill ride of weekly fight cards. There have been highs, there are been lows. New champions have been crowned and former champs have exited the UFC seemingly for good.

Given all that, we’ve got some serious catching up to do. This year has played host to some serious duds and we haven’t had time to talk about any of them. So, we’re kicking off the first half of our 2020 year in review with a trio of terrible tussles. Starting off with Gian Villante vs. Maurice Greene, then bouncing over to Michel Pereira vs. Diego Sanchez, and wrapping up with Mike Perry vs. Mickey Gall.

As always, we’re watching all three of these bouts over on Fight Pass. For those wishing to follow along, Zane will count down the start of each video, so just hit play when you hear go. If you’re not watching the Fight Pass version, Connor will try to announce the start of round 1, so you can sync up that way.

Be sure to follow Zane on twitter @TheZaneSimon, follow Connor, @BoxingBusch, follow Phil @EvilGregJackson, and follow @BloodyElbow for all the latest in MMA happenings. If you enjoyed our show, give us a shout out in the comments here on Bloody Elbow, or give us a “like”, share & subscribe over on one of our other BE Presents Channels: SoundCloud, YouTube, iTunes & Apple TV, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, TuneIn, OverCast, or Player FM – whichever one happens to be your listening platform of choice. While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to Bloody Elbow Presents; that way you’ll always be the first to get all of BE’s daily MMA offerings. For previous episodes of the show, check out our playlists on all of our BE Presents channels.

Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov 2 is Dana White’s plan ‘in a perfect world’

Conor McGregor may have a dangerous bout with Dustin Poirier out ahead of him, and Khabib Nurmagomedov may never fight again, but that doesn’t mean that the idea of a rematch between the two men doesn’t still carry a lot of intrigue for fans and the UFC alike.

So much so that it seems to be one of the major pieces of the puzzle with which Dana White hopes to lure the ‘Eagle’ back into the Octagon. Nurmagomedov surprised even his own AKA teammates, following his submission victory over Justin Gaethje back at UFC 254, when he announced his sudden retirement from competition. In the months since, White has painted a confident picture of his ability to negotiate the Dagestani champ back into the fold. And in a recent guest appearance on the SHOUT! Buffalo Football Podcast, White gave his vision for what an ideal future would hold.

“When I fly out there (to ‘Fight Island’), Khabib is going to be there, too. I’m going to meet with Khabib while I’m there,” White said of his upcoming meeting with Nurmagomedov (transcript via MMA Junkie). “In a perfect world, if Conor wins this fight, I’d love to see the rematch with him and Khabib. It’s the biggest fight that can be made, and it’s the fight that makes sense.”

Nurmagomedov and McGregor first fought back at UFC 229 in October of 2018, in the first defense of Nurmagomedov’s title—which had previously been vacated by the Irishman due to inactivity. Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor with a neck crank in the fourth round of their bout, which was followed by a massive brawl instigated by Nurmagomedov and members of his entourage.

However, despite the continued bad blood between the two men – and the potential money to be made – Nurmagomedov has never sounded particularly invested in the idea of rematching McGregor. Speaking to TMZ back in February, Nurmagomedov made it clear that he feels any serious talk about fighting McGregor again wouldn’t be because people thought a second bout between the two men would be any more competitive.

“They just want to see drama,” Nurmagomedov said of fan interest in the fight (transcript via ESPN). “If you ask people who’s going to win, 99% is going to say Khabib, like he did the first time, right? But people want to see a big drama show, only for this one. If we talk about money, this is good. If we talk about drama, this is good. If we talk about real lightweight contender or real lightweight championship fight, this is not good. This is not a real lightweight championship fight. But if we talk about drama and money, of course this is good.”

Even just earlier this month, Nurmagomedov joked that the only way the promotion could lure him back would be with a fight against the now departed boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor 2 may be the perfect fight for Dana White, but if Nurmagomedov sees it as a worthwhile goal he’s certainly hiding it well.

‘Floyd is going to beat his f-ing ass’ – Mike Tyson gives Logan Paul a reality check for Mayweather fight

The Paul brothers have found an undeniable home in the boxing world. The YouTube-personalities-turned-fighters have captured big audiences for boxing matches against fellow celebrities like rapper KSI and former NBA player Nate Robinson. And while their in-ring product rarely looks better than a carnival sideshow, they’ve springboarded their cult of personality into bigger and better opportunities.

Jake Paul, fresh off his second round KO over the aforementioned Robinson – in the co-main event of the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. exhibition fight – seems to have something brewing against former Bellator and ONE Championship title holder Ben Askren (although Askren has since said that Paul is backing out of the fight). Meanwhile, Logan Paul has a much more official bout in the works against none other than 43-year-old undefeated boxing great Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Paul lost his only pro bout to date, against KSI back in 2019. But with the brothers still providing constant headline fodder it seems like the prospect of making another easy buck was too good for Mayweather to pass up—even though Paul has 6 inches and 50+ lbs on the former multi-division world champion. Since retiring back in 2015, Mayweather has returned to the ring twice, both for showcase bouts. The most notable of those being against Conor McGregor in 2017.

On a recent episode of Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, Mike Tyson stopped by to discuss how Paul might fair in his bid to take on Mayweather. Tyson didn’t mince words.

“Floyd will beat his fucking ass,” Tyson told co-host Mike Majlak, with Paul seated next to him. “But it’s gonna be good. It’s gonna be good, he’ll fight back though.”

With Logan Paul sitting across from him, Mike Tyson says “Floyd is going to beat his f***ing ass” during the Feb. 20 exhibition. pic.twitter.com/5846fR6c2F

— Manouk Akopyan (@ManoukAkopyan) December 29, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Tyson isn’t the only pro boxer to weigh in with his thoughts on the fight. Former undisputed cruiserweight champion and current WBO inter-continental heavyweight title holder Oleksandr Usyk gave his thoughts on the bout in an interview with The Sun, essentially saying that Mayweather should have things in hand unless he gets too relaxed.

“As for whether it is dangerous, I think that if a boxer relaxes and gets hit it may be dangerous for him.

“Mayweather should be composed and play his game until the end.

“If he wants to it may be dangerous and if he doesn’t it will be okay.”

If Usyk is offering some measured caution, however, former welterweight champion Victor Ortiz sounds confident that Paul will be a major problem for Mayweather. Ortiz counts himself as a “dear friend” of Logan Paul and is helping with preparations for the bout. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Ortiz was unequivocal in his praise for Paul’s technical improvements and potential to give Mayweather a hard fight.

“I know what I know, and I know what I see,” Ortiz said. “What I’m saying, in a sense, is that he will give Floyd trouble.”

“He’s a dear friend, and I believe in him,” Ortiz said of Paul. “I’m telling you, it’s going to be an interesting fight. I’ve talked to him about Floyd a few times. … I give him the simple things: ‘Floyd is Floyd, but you’re unstoppable. You’re on another level.’ I strongly believe Floyd will have trouble. Logan can box, and he has power, reach speed, and he can move now.”

Even given the large size disparity, it seems hard to imagine that the man whose only venture inside the ring to date ended in a loss to an equally-inexperienced opponent will pose any kind of actual threat to one of boxing’s most decorated modern greats. But, as always, combat sports is all about selling the sizzle, nevermind if there’s any meat on the bone.

‘Where that b-tch Jorge at?’ – Edwards calls out Masvidal, gets offer from Holland instead

Leon Edwards is lookin’ for a fight. The top ranked UFC welterweight hasn’t set foot in the cage since July of last year, when he bested Rafael dos Anjos on his way to a five round unanimous decision victory. The months since have seen bouts scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic, and some acrimonious contract negotiations that briefly got ‘Rocky’ stripped of his spot in the UFC’s top 10.

Come November, however, it seemed as though Edwards was all set to return to action against fast-rising wunderkind Khamzat Chimaev. Sadly, positive COVID-19 tests for both men have seen that fight fall by the wayside twice now. And rather than wait to see if the third time’s a charm, it looks like Edwards is just hoping to move on. While Vicente Luque has shown his interest in a rematch with Edwards, the Jamaican-born Team Renegade fighter is making his own call-out.

Where that bitch Jorge at?

— Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) December 29, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Edwards and Jorge Masvidal have had a well-publicized war of words, stretching back to a confrontation following UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal. What started as a few heated comments quickly turned physical, with Masvidal approaching Edwards and delivering his now infamous “three piece with a soda,” back stage, after the event. Both men have since voiced their interest in facing off in the cage, but an official booking has never seemed close to coming together.

‘Gamebred’ last competed at UFC 251, after winning out in his own game of chicken with the UFC over contract negotiations. The longtime ATT talent stepped up to face Kamaru Usman on just a few days notice, after a planned title bout between Usman and Gilbert Burns fell through. Usman won the bout by unanimous decision.

Whether or not Masvidal is ready to step in against Edwards on less than a month’s notice, the opportunity to get a headlining slot atop a UFC card has at least a couple fighters champing at the bit. Alongside Luque’s offer, Edwards has also caught the attention of one of the promotion’s most ‘anyone, anywhere, anytime’ talents. Kevin Holland already has a big fight in the works with Derrick Brunson on March 20th. But that hasn’t stopped the ‘Smack Man’ from throwing his name into the hat.

Brett- let’s not get ahead of ourselves. @Leon_edwardsmma needs an opponent….. Big Mouth is Calling. ☎️ https://t.co/hbsZrwuzby

— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) December 29, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

This wouldn’t be the first time Holland has offered himself up for a fight at 170 lbs. The Travis Lutter-trained athlete’s fantastic 2020 included a bid to take on rising slugger Daniel Rodriguez at Welterweight back in May. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury scrapped that fight.

Most recently Holland picked up the highlight win of his career, KOing former Strikeforce champion Jacare Souza in the first round of their bout at UFC 256. Could just be that he’ll start 2021 looking to pick up where he left off, with a chance to take out a top tier opponent on short notice.

From Nightmare to dreamboat? – Diego Sanchez hits OnlyFans

Subscription service OnlyFans has become something of a meme in the MMA bubble. Fighters like Bec Rawlings, Jessica Eye, Claudia Gadelha, and Jessica Penne have all started accounts on the platform, using the notoriety from their respective combat sports careers to bring in fans willing to shell out as much as $49 a month (in Gadelha’s case).

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Rawlings explained the move and how her OnlyFans account became a financial life saver over the last year.

“Normally, I’d be freaking out right now if I haven’t fought yet and made some money,” Rawlings said of the financial strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “So it’s given me an opportunity to make money elsewhere. So it’s definitely saved me during this. It’s been good. I’m enjoying it.”

Still, for all the upside that Rawlings and others may be getting out of the service, it was still a bit of a shock to see none other than Ultimate Fighters Season 1 winner and former UFC title contender Diego Sanchez hitting Twitter to advertise his own account.

All my real fans get the real at my onlyfans

— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) December 26, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Sure enough, the ‘Nightmare’ went live with his account back in September. Where he’s been posting photos and videos from his training and travels, including his work with Joshua Fabia and the School of Self Awareness. Sanchez has seemingly made Fabia a major part of his MMA training over recent months, leading to some less than impressive results in the cage and some strange stories from other fighters about encounters outside the Octagon.

At the moment Sanchez’s OnlyFans account is entirely free for anyone signed up with the site. But with the fighter recently talking retirement and seemingly looking toward the end of his MMA career, maybe the monetary side of OnlyFans will start to look more enticing.

Khabib expects belt to ‘be taken by the winner of Dustin and Conor’ at UFC 257

Last we heard from Dana White, the UFC president still sounded incredibly confident that UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement plans weren’t nearly as set in stone as they appeared to be. After defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 back in October, the ‘Eagle’ announced that his time in mixed martial arts was at an end.

“I talked with my mother for three days. She didn’t want me to go fight without my father,” Nurmagomedov said of his decision post-fight. “I promised her, ‘It’s going to be my last fight,’ and if I give my word, I have to follow this. It was my last fight here.”

Still, White told reporters in early December that we would “find out how persuasive” the promoter can be. And that he’d bet on himself “every time,” in negotiations like this one. But, here we are a couple weeks later and, while White still plans to meet with Nurmagomedov in January, it sounds like Nurmagomedov is entering the new year with expectations of vacating his belt once and for all.

In a recent interview with MatchTV.ru, the longtime AKA talent talked about the potential of returning to the Octagon. And while he joked that maybe a fight with Muhammad Ali could bring him back, he seemingly largely dismissed any plans of reigniting his career. Even going so far as to suggest that the headlining bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor at UFC 257 would likely end up being a fight for his vacated title.

“Top three [lightweight] fighters right now?” Nurmagomedov responded when asked for his thoughts on the current lightweight elite (translation via RT Sport). ”Poirier, McGregor and [Islam] Makhachev. He is not in the top five yet, but those are the best fighters.

“My belt will be taken by the winner of Dustin and Conor.”

As for what the UFC has brought to the table so far? Nurmagomedov said that the promotion has been busy looking for ways to entice him back into competition, but it doesn’t sound like they have much to offer.

“I don’t blame them and their desire is understandable. They persuade, I will not hide, but this is not surprising. They offer conditions and fighters, but it’s hard to surprise fighters. I finished half of the top 10 ahead of schedule. And so yes, I repeat: there are conditions and offers. In a couple of weeks, Dana and I will discuss all the points.”

“I would not like that,” Khabib added when asked about the likelihood of him returning to competition.

It’s worth noting, however, that Nurmagomedov’s manager hit Twitter shortly after quotes from the fighter’s MatchTV interview started to spread, issuing an apparent denial that his client expects the UFC to award his title at UFC 257.

Enough with the fake news. Khabib said the winner of this fight will fight for the title he didn’t say the winner will become champion. #ClickBait https://t.co/gC2BvmKJST

— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) December 28, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

It seems like a weird spin considering the interview also includes Nurmagomedov appearing entirely uninterested in any kind of continuation of his career inside the cage. But, given the money at stake for another PPV with the champ’s 29-0 record on the line, it’s little wonder that those on the business side of the equation are doing whatever they can to keep him at the negotiation table.

UFC 257 is set to go down January 23rd in Abu Dhabi at the Flash Forum. Alongside the lightweight main event the UFC is planning a battle between women’s flyweigh top contenders Jessica Eye and Joanne Calderwood. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more news and notes as fight night approaches, and as negotiations between White and Nurmagomedov really kick into gear.

‘How are you not a politician?’ – Tito Ortiz caught on tape in parking lot confrontation

It’s been less than two months since Tito Ortiz officially won a seat on the City Council for Huntington Beach—one that, through a strange series of coincidences has led to him being named the city’s pro tem mayor. But that hasn’t stopped the former UFC champion from finding a way to keep making headlines.

Whether it’s been bickering with other council members or fumbling his way through learning the ropes of the job, the 2+ weeks since Ortiz was sworn into office have provided a regular stream of entertaining video clips (or potential causes for concern). Most recently, Ortiz was captured on camera having a heated confrontation with what appeared to be one of his constituents in a Huntington Beach parking lot.

“I am setting an example,” Ortiz can be heard saying, while getting harangued with questions about immigration and local police enforcing federal laws. After which Ortiz appeared to tell the man recording the conversation that he’s not a politician. From there, things only got uglier.

In the video, Ortiz appeared to take a step toward the man – who was mocking him over his MMA career – and accused him of being threatening while asking him to “back up.” Ortiz then started shouting at the man, “You’re in my way, boy! Get out! Get out! Back up homie, you’re doing something wrong! I’m not doing nothing, why don’t you back up!?”

Check out the video from the whole sorry situation below.

This is a snippet of a heated conversation between Tito Ortiz and a Huntington Beach resident from earlier today. Police were eventually called. pic.twitter.com/MC0URqd1BO

— Borrachinha Depot (@FullContactMTWF) December 23, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Report: Anthony Pettis signs with PFL, will compete at 155

Free agency did not last long for Anthony Pettis. The former WEC and UFC lightweight champion wrapped up the final fight of his UFC contract on December 19th, with a unanimous decision victory over Alex Morono. After the victory, Pettis talked about wanting to test the market to see what kind of price he could command fighting out from under the Zuffa/Endeavor banner for the first time in more than a decade.

For many fighters, that might mean waiting out the UFC’s exclusive negotiation period, or facing the prospect that White & Co. might match whatever contract any other organization could offer over the next twelve months. But, here we are just four days removed from UFC Vegas 17 and it looks like Pettis has his new deal all squared away.

ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reports that Pettis has signed to fight for the Professional Fighters League, where he will compete in the lightweight division.

Anthony Pettis has agreed to a new deal with PFL, per multiple sources.

The former UFC and WEC lightweight champion will be a part of the promotion’s 2021 season and will compete in their lightweight division, sources say.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 23, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

While the bulk of ‘Showtime’’s MMA run has come at 155 lbs, most recently the longtime Roufusport product has been competing up at welterweight. He’s currently riding back to back wins on his way out of the Octagon, having returned from a lightweight defeat to Diego Ferreira in January to beat Donald Cerrone and Alex Morono back at 170 lbs.

Formerly the World Series of Fighting, the PFL scrapped what would have been their third season in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, in both their 2018 & 2019 tournaments, Brazilian lightweight Natan Schulte (20-3-1) captured PFL gold—and $1 million in prize money for each go-round.

Assuming Schulte is set to return for the promotion’s 2021 season as well, Pettis’ inclusion in the mix should make for a fascinating year. A chance for Pettis to show he’s still got the chops that made him king of the mountain, and a chance for Schulte to prove he’s truly a world class talent.