American fighter Nate Diaz is no walkover. Back in 2016, he pushed one of the most decorated MMA athletes, Conor McGregor, into submission. Now, for the main event at UFC 244, he’s planning to go head-to-head with welterweight Cuban-American Jorge Masvidal.
But, Nate’s got his hands full at the moment with doping allegations. However, the pot-smoking Stockton native whose modus operandi has been to always ‘fight clean’ trying to clear the air beforehand, and potentially risk millions.
“Yes, because it’s not worth a million if you're going to be cheating over it, you know what I’m saying?” he claims during a teleconference, elaborating, “You’ve got to sleep with that. You’ve got to sleep with that, you know what I’m saying? So I’m like, no, fix it... It’s like, why is it a secret if it’s not true? So, I think that whole keeping the secret till after the fight s*** just for everybody to make money and it's f***ing cheating. So I'm not going to be a part of that...”
This attitude reflects the principles of this true-blue vegan. And this fight is a big deal for the fighter—not just because Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will be the guest presenter. It’s also because the BMF or Baddest Mother F****r title is touted to be a one-off belt. It's not going to be defended or anything like that.
Nate adds, “That just makes sense. And one-off—let me tell you something. 170, 185, 205, 155 (weight categories) or BMF title, everybody wants the BMF title. If you’ve got the option, what title would you fight for? This is the best fighter in the game right here. So that's the one I'm fighting for. And no matter for the belt or what. Any time you fight me, it’s going to be the best baddest motherf***ing fight you’re going to see.”
Either way, it’s obvious that Nate has a lot of respect for his opponent, Jorge. A fan favourite, Masvidal, who has an impressive career of 34-13, is a legend in the combative sport as he holds the record for the fastest knockout in the UFC. He did this after executing a remarkable flying knee against previously undefeated Ben Askren. The 16-year veteran, who hails from Miami, is preparing for a sensational finish in the biggest fight of his career.
“He’s a strategic fighter, been around forever and you're not just there because you’re there. You run that long and fought these fights because you’re just some lucky guy, you know. So I'm expecting a hard fight, the best fighter I’ve ever fought.” Will Masvidal keep true to his tweet and ‘go for the jugular’? Find out at 7.30 am on November 3. Live on Sony Ten 2.