Nate Diaz has never needed much of a reason. Speaking at the unveiling of Scott Coker’s Ki MMA venture, Diaz was asked by MMA Fighting about Ilia Topuria and did not spend long on it.
I don’t really give a —- about what they do, but Ilia is lame as —-. He’s —- lame. He’s a punching bag. He called me a punching bag, he’s a —- punching bag. He got his ass whooped.
The comparison he reached for was the obvious one.
They made a big deal out of him just like they did off Conor when he started coming. You get a little early pump-up before you’ve been in a real fight, that’s what happened to him. He got into a real fight with Justin Gaethje, and now look at you.
Diaz has standing on that particular point, having handed Conor McGregor his first UFC loss in 2016.
The resume he is dismissing is not a small one. Topuria won titles at featherweight and lightweight and knocked out Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira in succession before Gaethje beat him at UFC Freedom 250 in June, taking his title and his unbeaten record with it. He spoke publicly for the first time this month in a message addressed to his young son.
Diaz has his own comeback to arrange. He is 41 and lost to Mike Perry in May on the Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano card, his first MMA fight in four years. He says he will fight for Ki MMA, particularly if a ring is involved, and wants two fights in 2027.
I’m going to be out until, I’m going to say, January, minimum. Before halfway through the year I would like to fight next year, but I’m trying to get active, at least two fights next year.
His read on the current landscape was about as generous as the Topuria assessment.
I’m trying to come up and see, no one’s that impressive right now. For the moment, there’s impressive people out there for sure, but none’s that impressive at the moment.
