Nate Diaz hasn’t stepped inside the UFC Octagon since 2022 and in a recent interview, the Stockton native revealed what prompted him to seek an exit from the promotion. Diaz was originally scheduled to face Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 279 in 2022 as the last fight on his UFC contract. However, due to Chimaev missing weight, Diaz took on Tony Ferguson instead. After winning the bout via a guillotine choke in the fourth round, Diaz chose not to re-sign with the promotion and became a free agent.

Now, he is gearing up to take on Jorge Masvidal inside the squared circle on July 6 in a rematch of their BMF title clash from UFC 244 and Diaz has pulled back the curtain on his decision to move away from the UFC due to a perceived lack of freedom from the promotion to pursue his interests! 

Nate Diaz confesses UFC contract’s binding nature forced him into free agency  

After securing his victory against Tony Ferguson, Nate Diaz stated in his post-fight interview, “I want to get out of the UFC for a minute and show these UFC fighters how to take over and own another sport…” leaving the fans wondering when they’ll get to see the man who handed Conor McGregor his first loss in the UFC return to the promotion.

In a recent conversation with former UFC star, Demetrious Johnson on his YouTube channel, Diaz revealed that the UFC’s restrictions on him pursuing outside interests led to him choosing not to continue his association with the promotion. He highlighted the differences in the treatment between him and Masvidal by stating, “Well he’s (Masvidal) contracted with the UFC and he’s not allowed to fight anywhere outside the UFC and then they allowed him to come out and box.”

The former UFC star then expressed his frustration with the organization’s unwillingness to extend the same freedom to him as he further revealed, “They would have never let me box. They never did, I was trying to do all kinds of different sh*t, they didn’t let me do sh*t, they was like you sit there and wait till we call you so that’s why I was like, I got to get the f**k out of here.”

The comments highlighted the fact that a desire for freedom played a significant role in Nate Diaz’s decision to leave the UFC behind and have more control over his career to pursue different avenues. Since his last fight in the UFC, Diaz has fought social media turned boxer, Jake Paul in a boxing match in 2023 but came up short as he lost the bout via unanimous decision. But while his future with the UFC remains uncertain, his elder brother, Nick, is set to return soon and Nate has come out to express his excitement about his sibling returning to the Octagon! 

Nick Diaz ready to return to the UFC in Abu Dhabi

After another hiatus of 3-years, MMA legend Nick Diaz will be stepping into the cage again to take on Vicente Luque at UFC Abu Dhabi on August 3. The elder Diaz brother had been away from competition since 2015 when he returned to take on Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 in 2021 and was stopped via TKO in the third round.

In a recent conversation with MMA Junkie, Nate Diaz stated, “Luque’s a fighter, he’ll come to fight, and you guys know Nick, so that’s what that is. You’re going to have a couple of animals in there. I don’t think there’s anybody better than Nick, so we’ll see what happens.”

He also shared that both brothers have been preparing for their respective fights in separate camps and the attention drawn by the Diaz brothers’ return to active competition highlights the unique place they hold in the minds of MMA fandom. Do you think the UFC should have allowed Nate Diaz more freedom in his UFC contract? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!