It’s been over a week now since Nate Diaz’s enormous win over Conor McGregor at UFC 196, and after having had time to digest everything that occurred during that whirlwind late-notice fight he’s now starting to think about what comes next.
There’s been some talk that he could now go on to fight Robbie Lawler for the welterweight title at UFC 200, or even take on Georges St.Pierre if he were to return for that historic event, but Diaz has now suggested that he might not stick around at 170lbs after all.
“The biggest thing with Lawler and GSP – I would have been all about those fights and I am, but at the same time, my brother [Nick] is coming back and those are his fights,” Diaz told ESPN. “Those are Nick Diaz fights. I’m not trying to step on his shoes.”
As Nate says, his elder brother Nick Diaz is indeed coming back after having his five year ban from the Nevada State Athletic Commission relating to a positive marijuana test reduced to 18 months which means he’ll be available to compete by August of this year.
Nick has fought both GSP and Lawler in the past, losing to St.Pierre, but KO’ing the current champion, and so he may well be eager to revisit those match-ups upon his return.
With that in mind it seems that Nate is likely to head back down to lightweight where he’s spent the majority of his career.
“I’m thinking probably the lightweight title fight, whatever is biggest,” says Diaz who is currently ranked No.5 at 155lbs.
However, at the end of the day Diaz say it all boils down to which fight will earn him the biggest cheque, and he intends to make the most of his new-found fame to ensure that he gets paid accordingly.
“I’m not asking for anything. I’m demanding more than everybody. I want more than everybody, straight up. Money talks. I want the biggest fight. Whoever I’ve got to fight — the biggest show, biggest payday — that’s what I want.”
