Nate Diaz feels fighters get out what they put in.
Diaz hasn’t been shy in expressing his feelings about how the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) handles the promotion of its fighters. The Stockton native is obviously most concerned with how he is treated, but feels many competitors have untapped star power.
Diaz puts the blame on fighters for not speaking out on their issues with the UFC (via MMAFighting.com):
“It’s the fighters’ fault for not speaking up though. My mind wasn’t blown (about the sale). I could tell it’s worth that much. You can tell when — look at what I just said about (appearing on) Conan and Kimmel in the same week (before UFC 202). You know what I’m saying? I’m like, what the f*ck, is that not worth something? You should be paid out if people who are famous like that are calling you. We’re in the same places.”
With all of his celebrity interactions, Diaz feels his worth is beyond what the UFC thinks it is. He believes other fighters can be stars, but they don’t act like stars.
“All the actors you meet, rappers and actresses and everybody you meet is just like, ‘what’s up?!’ They’re, like, fascinated by you. I’m like, how is this f*cking person that you’re watching on TV, who’s the most famous person you can think of, looking at you like, ‘duuuude,’ asking me about fights? No, I’m a superstar. Straight up. And a lot of fighters are. They could be, but nobody’s spitting it like that. So it’s like, if you keep treating yourself like a little slick b*tch type of fighter, then you are that. You’ve got to take it in your own hands and run over the game with it.”