Tag: UFC 244

Gregor Gillespie explains why he didn’t wrestle Kevin Lee at UFC 244, would love rematch

Gregor Gillespie explains why he didn’t use his wrestling against Kevin Lee at UFC 246

[autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] didn’t exactly go as expected.

The lightweight clash, which opened up the pay-per-view portion of UFC 244 on Nov. 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York, ended up being a quick, exciting striking battle. Lee scored the knockout almost three minutes in to put an end to the short, but back-and-forth war. Many expected the bout to be a high-level grappling match, given that both Gillespie (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Lee are two of the very best wrestlers in the division.

“I think a lot of people thought that was going to be the fight, just grappling, right,” Gillespie told MMA Junkie. “So that was kind of the general consensus that there was going to be a grinding out, (expletive) hanging on each other, pulling each other, tangling and scrabbling type of fight, but it was the exact opposite. I took one shot, didn’t even come close, came right back up and went back to striking.”

With the result in mind, some fans questioned why Gillespie didn’t use his NCAA Division I All-American pedigree and wrestled Lee more. Gillespie, who was holding more than his own on the feet, causing a lot of damage with his boxing, says it’s easier said than done.

“I thought I was doing really well in the striking,” Gillespie said. “The sideline couch-coaches, the trolls online were like, ‘Why didn’t you wrestle, bro? You should’ve (expletive) wrestled sooner, that’s what got you there. Don’t forget what got you there.’

“But Kevin Lee is no slouch when it comes to grappling, he’s an excellent wrestler for MMA and he’s not exactly easy to takedown. They obviously came with a great game plan – stay low, don’t get too high even if there’s some striking exchanges that don’t go your way. He was in a super low stance and you can’t just dive in on a guy like that, and I thought I was doing really well in the striking.

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“I thought I was winning the exchanges up to that point, but then again, that doesn’t mean anything in MMA, things can change in the blink of an eye as you see. But I thought I was striking really (expletive) well: I busted his eyes up, I busted his nose up. The plan was hit him enough so where he has to stand up a little bit to avoid getting hit and then you shoot. But he kept that (expletive) stance, man. I couldn’t get him out of that stance and I’m not diving in on a guy like that.

“You get all these assholes on the internet saying you should’ve shot, man, but I mean, I was winning the exchanges. And if you dive in, then you can get kneed in the mouth and then get knocked out. And then it’s easy to say, ‘Why did you shoot, you were winning the exchanges,’ so you can’t win. When you know the result it’s super easy to say you should’ve done this or that.”

Gillespie has a sober assessment on how immediate rematches go in the UFC, so he’s not expecting to get matched up with Lee again anytime soon. However, the Long Island native would love to get another crack at Lee sometime in the future.

“As far as the rematch, I would obviously love to fight Kevin Lee, but unfortunately in this sport – unless you’re a titleholder and it’s a title fight that could’ve been a rematch – that’s not how fighting works,” Gillespie said. “I’m not going to get a rematch with Kevin Lee even if I begged for one right now. However, if we meet down the road, I would absolutely love that. That would be if we meet again along the road to the belt, I’d love that.

“Again, I’m not asking for one right now because I know it’s not in the realm of possibilities, but I hope one day we both get to a point, maybe we fight for the belt one day, maybe we have a title eliminator one day, I would really like that.”

Gillespie is back to training, but not sparring. The 32-year-old plans to return to competition sometime in the spring before the 2020 NCAA wrestling championship. Gillespie has no opponent in mind, but wants to get hands on someone in top 10.

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When it comes to trash talk and callouts, Gregor Gillespie is ‘done doing that sh*t’

To be clear: Gregor Gillespie isn’t blaming trash talk for his knockout loss at UFC 244, but nothing about his game was authentic.

[autotag]Gregor Gillespie[/autotag] is going to take things down a notch.

The New York native will resort back to his original ways after suffering his first professional loss to Kevin Lee back in November at UFC 244. Defeat wasn’t the only new experience for Gillespie (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in his developing MMA career, as he also engaged in the trash talk and callout culture of the sport during the buildup.

Gillespie, who had generally kept a good distance from talking trash, was far more vocal ahead of the Lee fight, and even prior to that had also made the first callout of his career.

The NCAA Division I All-American made clear the extra talk didn’t have anything to do with his performance or the outcome of his fight against Lee, saying “The Motown Phenom” simply landed the “perfect kick.”

But despite not taking a toll, Gillespie wants to go back to his old ways and let his performance do the talking.

“Yeah, I’m going to stay away from that,” Gillespie told MMA Junkie. “I’m not going to say that was at all part of the reason why I lost. I’m not this dummy that thinks because I wore a different pair of socks that’s why I lost. I’m not superstitious as far as that, but I like to keep it the same, and I got a little, I mean, it wasn’t an overwhelming amount of getting caught up in the sh*t talk after, but the thing is that at that point, I wasn’t getting any offers, wasn’t getting any fights. Several people had turned down fights when I was asking them.

“The UFC has done an amazing job with matching me up with good guys, but I think I got to a point where I needed to create a little bit of a stir because a lot of people were looking at that like, ‘Gillespie isn’t fighting because he’s scared. Gillespie isn’t fighting because he doesn’t want to fight.’ A lot of people were sending me a lot of nasty sh*t on Instagram like, ‘Maybe if you fought more than once a year you’d be in the top 10, blah blah blah.’ So I put those out more like, ‘Hey, look, I’m trying guys. I’m just not getting the fights I’m asking for.’

“And that’s nothing on the UFC, the UFC has been f*cking amazing with me. Anybody that complains about the UFC, they’re having a completely different experience than I am because the UFC has been phenomenal to me in getting me matched up. We were just having a tough time getting guys in the top 10 that wanted to fight – also a lot of guys were booked or injured or coming off loses or recent fights. So I felt like I had to put something out there to let people know that I was trying to fight, so I’m probably going to stay away from that like I have in the past.

“I think I got a little bit caught up doing too many interviews and talking about what was going to happen. Then I got into that little thing in the weigh-in of who’s going to look away from who, who’s going to turn first, and I’m done doing that sh*t. I’m going to go back and do exactly what I was doing before: Head down, not do the whole get-crazy-during-the-staredown thing, no interviews that are going to – if you start talking about my opponent or what’s going to happen next, I’m done with the interview. I’m going to go back to exactly what I was doing before.”

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There are many reasons why Gillespie will look to dial down on the talking aspect of MMA. For starters, he admits he’s not quite Conor McGregor, and believes he frankly doesn’t need to be loud to achieve his ultimate goal.

“I’m not a sh*t talker, and I’ve never been a sh*t talker,” Gillespie explained. “It actually makes me genuinely uncomfortable. You can tell when I did that Anthony Pettis callout I was visually uncomfortable, and it wasn’t organic. It looked scripted, and it’s because it was scripted. I mean, even Chael Sonnen ripped me apart for that and rightfully so. It was just a horrible acting job on my end, and it’s because that’s exactly what it was. It was an uncomfortable situation of acting, and I didn’t do it well. I wasn’t comfortable, it wasn’t organic, so I don’t like doing that.

“I know it’s part of the sport, and I’m not hating on anyone that’s is good at it. I mean, Conor McGregor has literally mad hundreds of millions of dollars out of it, you know, paired with the fact that he can also fight pretty damn good. So you know, like I’m not good at it, and I understand it.

“I can generate enough of an interest with my fighting and my personal life. I put a lot of it on Instagram, and there are a lot of fishing fans out there and a lot of country boys like me, so I appeal to a different audience – maybe not the guys who love watching that WWE style sh*t. That’s not me. I definitely have my own things. I’ve picked up a lot of followers over the past year, so I think I have a different fan base, and maybe I’m bringing in a different fan base to the sport of MMA. I’ve had people say, ‘I haven’t watched fighting until I saw you, I’m a fisherman, and I just saw your fishing videos.’

“I’m all about promoting the sport, a certain fight, but not going to do it by corny one-liners about your mom.”

Gregor Gillespie was flattened by a Kevin Lee head kick at UFC 244. (Sarah Stier, USA TODAY Sports)

Big part of the reason there’s been a rise in trash talk is because it may result in desired matchmaking and increased fan interest. It can be a beneficial tool to many fighters. Gillespie believes there’s a way around getting ahead through promotion, and that’s just simply what he does best – winning.

“My game plan has always been if you win the fights, you’re going to get bigger fights,” Gillespie said. “So I’ll string together a few more good ones, and I’ll be right where I want to be. Look at George St-Pierre. He didn’t even say a f*cking word, nd he’s one of the most popular fighters in history.

“I also want to be, and as corny as this sounds, but man, I guess this is where the wresting comes in: We were always taught to be good role models and be examples for the kids who are going to watch you compete. So I hope they see this guy that cleaned up his life, he’s a former drug user and alcoholic, cleaned his life up, gets back on track, gets into a sport, makes it into the UFC, gets in the top 10, and maybe gets a title shot one day and wins the belt. I want to be a good role model.

“There’s also a life after fighting, too. I might have to apply for a job after I’m done fighting, and let’s say six years from now I’m trying to be a teacher, and they’re going to look back at my Instagram, and he was telling someone to suck his d*ck, and all the sudden you’re getting, ‘Oh, we can’t hire this guy. There’s a video of him on his own page telling someone to suck his d*ck.’ You can’t do that. So where do you draw the line? I’m trying to look forward. You can’t fight forever. At some point you might have to put in a job application with a company that may not like what you’re saying.

“So I don’t know. I’m all about promoting a fight and gaining, retaining as much interest in me, my fight, and the promotion as much as I possibly can. But at what expense?”

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MMA Junkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for November: A ‘BMF’ champ is crowned

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from November 2019.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from November 2019: Here are the four nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for November.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

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The Nominees

Stephen Thompson def. Vicente Luque at UFC 244

In case there were any doubters — and going in, there sure seemed to be — [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (18-6-1 MMA, 11-2 UFC) proved he’s still very much a factor in the UFC welterweight division against [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (17-6-1 MMA, 10-2 UFC).

The two time title challenger returned to vintage “Wonderboy” form as he picked apart one of the division’s hottest fighters in Luque over the course of three rounds. The judges’ scores at New York’s Madison Square Garden were 30-26, 30-26, and 29-27 as Thompson won by unanimous decision.

Jorge Masvidal def. Nate Diaz at UFC 244

[autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) became the UFC’s “Baddest Mother(expletive)” after defeating [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] (20-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) in their highly anticipated welterweight matchup.

Masvidal continued the most stellar run of his career, and perhaps wrapped up his claim to “Fight of the Year,” when he picked Diaz apart to claim the “BMF” belt. Unfortunately the end came in an anticlimactic matter, with “Gamebred” winning by doctor stoppage TKO in the third round after multiple cuts on Diaz’s face.

John Salter def. Costello van Steenis at Bellator 233

Prior to his encounter with [autotag]Costello van Steenis[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) in their middleweight main event, [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) never went the distance in 20 pro mixed martial arts fights, win or lose.

Finally, that changed. Salter dominated the first two rounds in his bout with van Steenis, which was enough to win out over a later rally as he earned a unanimous decision. The judges’ scores were 29-28 across the board, putting Salter back in contention in Bellator’s 185-pound division.

Zabit Magomedsharipov def. Calvin Kattar at UFC on ESPN+ 21

[autotag]Zabit Magomedsharipov[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) was made to work for it, but the Dagestani featherweight contender picked up arguably the most important win of his UFC career against [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC).

The matchup was rearranged from their original booking at UFC on ESPN 6 in October, with the matchup kept as a three-round affair despite headlining status. And after three entertaining rounds, it was Kattar who was in the ascendency, but Magomedsharipov who was ahead on the scorecards to take a unanimous decision.

* * * *

The Winner: Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz

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On a night in which the president of the United States and Hollywood superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson were both in the house, New York State Athletic Commission Chief Medical Officer Nitin K. Sethi apparently decided he wanted to be the star of the show.

Masvidal and Diaz delivered as advertised through the first three rounds of their main event for the “BMF” title. Diaz, however, was cut above and below his right eye, and while Diaz has fought his way through plenty worse in his career, Sethi took a cursory glance at Diaz between rounds and decided to call off the fight, much to the chagrin of the capacity crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

It went in the books as a TKO stoppage at 5:00 of the third round, but Masvidal, for his part, made it clear he was unsatisfied with the stoppage and was ready to run things back as soon as possible.

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“For a fact, you gave me the love I’ll give you the love,” Masvidal told Diaz. “I don’t like to leave the ring like this with my opponent still conscious. We have to run it back.”

Masvidal was sharp from the fight’s outset, firing heavy hands with malicious intent. What turned out to be the bout’s most important sequence occurred early in the first round. Masvidal caught Diaz with a wicked elbow off the break, then landed a sneaky head kick which dropped Diaz to the mat. Somewhere in that flurry, Diaz was busted open around his right eye.

Masvidal was cautious about going to the mat with Diaz, which enabled Diaz to recover, but he continued to outwork Diaz in the standup throughout the first and into the second.

Diaz likes to stalk his foes, use pressure, and turn up the volume. But every time it appeared Diaz was going to turn up the heat, Masvidal managed to escape and reset.

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Diaz is a cardio machine known for coming on in the late rounds. While Masvidal also won the third round, the round was also Diaz’s best, as he started to show signs he was getting it together, landing effective combos.

That built the anticipation for the championship rounds, but that’s when the doctor decided it was a good idea to step in and end the fight.

“The Rock” came in and placed the specially made “BMF” belt around Masvidal’s waist, and while Masvidal accepted it, he made it clear he wants a rematch. Diaz, for his part, let everyone know he’s down.

“I’m going back for this mother(expletive), right back,” Diaz said. “Let me heal this up and go again.”

[opinary poll=”what-was-your-fight-of-the-month-for-nov” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Darren Till wanted to change Neil Diamond ‘Sweet Caroline’ walkout for UFC 244, but glad he forgot

Darren Till admitted he didn’t want to walk out to “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond again at UFC 244, but is glad he forgot to change it.

[autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] didn’t want to walk out to “Sweet Caroline” a month ago.

Till took on former UFC interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum in his 185-pound debut at UFC 244, and edged him out by split decision.

Speaking to BT Sport, Till admitted he wanted to change his walkout song in hopes of changing his recent bad fortune, but forgot to let the UFC know.

And ultimately, he’s glad he didn’t. The Neil Diamond classic has become Till’s trademark, after all.

“I forgot to change my music,” Till said. “They emailed me and I don’t really read my emails and, like, I just forgot. And when it come on, Colin (Heron) went, ‘Ugh.’ And I did (too). But then, you know what? It’s my tune, isn’t it? It’s my tune. I had more cheers than he did. He had boos.

“There’s a tune called ‘Maneuver Roots.’ I heard it on ‘Top Boy’ – an absolute tune. But it’s dead mellow and calm. But now I’m happy I didn’t (change to it). I’m very, very, very pleased.”

The former UFC welterweight title challenger sat down to watch his fight against Gastelum in full for the first time. He broke down the fight and what was going through his mind in the play-by-play feature.

Check out the full video below:

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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UFC champ Israel Adesanya sees unbeaten Edmen Shahbazyan as a future foe

Israel Adesanya is keeping eyes on all the happenings in the UFC middleweight division, and that includes the come-up of Edmen Shahbazyan.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is keeping eyes on all the happenings in the UFC middleweight division, and that includes the come-up of [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag].

Shahbazyan (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is an unbeaten rising star at 185 pounds who has vocalized his desire to become youngest champion in UFC history. He just turned 22, and has a little less than two years to break Jon Jones’ mark in the record books.

After getting three solid wins to begin his UFC career, Shahbazyan really turned heads with a brutal knockout of Brad Tavares at UFC 244. Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) was unable to stop Tavares inside five rounds when they fought, and the champ said the performance got his attention.

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“I saw his fight,” Adesanya said during a recent appearance on the “JRE MME Show” with host Joe Rogan. “I didn’t know who he was until (my manager) told me. Then I rewatched his fight. He hit Brad Tavares with the head kick and that kind of got my attention, like, ‘Oh (expletive), who is this kid?’ At 185, he’s 22. He’s on the come-up. I played with Brad for five rounds. He starched him in one round. I’m not taking that lightly.”

UFC president Dana White said following UFC 244 that he’s high on Shahbazyan’s talent, but admitted caution must be taken with a prospect of this nature. Whether Shahbazyan is able to accomplish his goal of claiming the belt inside the set timeline remains to be seen, and only time will tell if Adesanya still holds the strap should he get there.

Adesanya’s immediate focus is on the division’s established top contenders such as Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero and more, but “The Last Stylebender” admitted Shahbazyan is more than just a blimp on the radar.

“I look at that kid – eventually when he comes up I’m sure I’ll see him at some point,” Adesanya said. “I need to get back to work. I’m working, but I’ve got the FOMO.”

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MMA Junkie’s ‘Knockout of the Month’ for November: A rare rolling thunder finish

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from November 2019.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from November 2019. Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Knockout of the Month” award for November.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

* * * *

The Nominees

Kevin Lee def. Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244

Fighting in his opponent’s home territory in New York, [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) knocked previously unbeaten Gregor Gillespie (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) cold in his return to the lightweight division.

It took less than three minutes and one perfectly placed head kick for Lee to take back attention as a lightweight contender. Following some early exchanges, “The Motown Phenom” separated Gillespie from consciousness in devastating fashion.

Andrew Kapel def. Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 232

[autotag]Andrew Kapel[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) made sure it was an unhappy end to Muhammed Lawal’s (21-10 MMA, 10-7 BMMA) career, because he sent “King Mo” into retirement on a knockout loss in their 195-pound catchweight fight.

After a brief feeling out process to begin the fight, Kapel threw a body kick which Lawal caught. He went to throw a punch, but Kapel timed the perfect counter shot on him coming in. Lawal immediately went down and out, and retired following the defeat.

Magomed Ankalaev def. Dalcha Lungiambula at UFC on ESPN+ 21

[autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) capped off a solid performance with a highlight-reel finish when he defeated Dalcha Lungiambula (10-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in their light heavyweight matchup.

Ankalaev connected with a perfect front kick that made a sickening thud and instantly rocked Lungiambula. From there, the Russian unloaded a clean follow-up shot that put Lungiambula down to stop the fight in the third round.

Davy Gallon def. Ross Pearson at “MTK MMA: Probellum”

Ross Pearson (20-17) had a rude welcome back to MMA from his retirement courtesy of the unheralded [autotag]Davy Gallon[/autotag] (18-7-2), who delivered what could go down as an all-time knockout in the sport’s history.

The lightweight fight was relatively competitive for more than two rounds. In the closing stages of the third, though, Gallon went airborne and unleashed a rolling thunder kick. The heel landed flush on Pearson’s face, and “The Ultimate Fighter 9” winner was immediately knocked out in a shocking finish.

Michael Page def. Giovanni Melillo at Bellator Europe 6

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 12-1 BMMA) gave his hometown fans what they wanted as he closed the show in style against Giovanni Melillo (13-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) with the latest addition to his highlight reel.

Page finished late-notice replacement Melillo in less than two minutes with a thumping right hand. Melillo was out on impact, and “MVP” had the walk-off finish to close the welterweight contest.

* * * *

The Winner: Davy Gallon

Pearson’s MMA return was one for the highlight reel – but not in the way he envisioned.

In his first fight in his native U.K. in over four years, Pearson headlined “MTK MMA: Probellum” in London. Taking on Gallon, Pearson was brutally knocked out in the most improbable of fashions.

As the clock wound down in the final round, Gallon threw a rolling thunder kick, which landed flush on the head of Pearson.

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Upon impact, Pearson was knocked out cold and flew backwards, crashing to the mat. The announcer’s, “Oh, sh*t” reaction sums up just how spectacular it was.

“I’ve only hit it in training,” Gallon told MMA Junkie of the knockout. “I saw a kyokushin video on YouTube, and I tried maybe once or twice in training. I was in the hotel room the day before the fight with my coach. I said, ‘Oh coach, come on. I want to try this kick.’ He told me, ‘You know it’s Ross Pearson? It’s a good guy. It’s a big fighter, you know?’ I said yeah, and he told me, ‘OK, you can try the kick. But you have to do it at the end of the fight.'”

The fight was Pearson’s first since being released by the UFC earlier this year. Prior to his UFC departure, Pearson had dropped six out of his final seven fights with the promotion.

[opinary poll=”whats-your-knockout-of-the-month-for-nov” customer=”mmajunkie”]

Nate Diaz paid back a fan who lost money betting on UFC 244

Awesome.

Nate Diaz lost this month’s UFC 244 to Jorge Masvidal after the doctor stopped the fight due to a pair of gnarly gashes on Diaz’s face.

Masvidal went into the fight as the betting favorite, which probably inspired one Nate Diaz fan to drop a hefty bet on the underdog. He just wasn’t exactly prepared for the loss.

A week after the fight, an Instagram user, unknownkillers213, commented on one of Diaz’s posts that he had lost all his rent money betting on Diaz and was stuck living in his car. While unknownkillers213 would later clarify that he wasn’t actually living in his car, Diaz still threw some money his way. (Warning: Some NSFW language)

Note: Swipe through the Instagram photos.

As we can see in the screenshots, Diaz responded to unknownkillers213’s DM that provided proof of the lost bet and asked for his PayPal. The fan wrote in the caption:

Update for everyone asking me, Yes Nate actually helped me out Nate is the true OG BMF he sent me more money than what I lost on my bet and I’m using it to buy from his cbd company “Game Up” Nate is a really cool guy when I made that post I didn’t think twice about it I didn’t even think he would see it and I even let him know that I wasn’t really sleeping in my car it was more of a joke but it was awesome the way he responded and the fact that he refunded me and gave me some extra cash just goes to show he is a man of the people !!! 💯 👊🏻 🥋🐐

So, no, Diaz didn’t help out a fan who needed a place to live, but it was still a cool gesture from the UFC star.

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Nick Diaz: Jorge Masvidal ‘in a (expletive) position’ if we fight, ‘BMF’ title is ‘my belt’

If Nick Diaz ever fights again, it appears a matchup with Jorge Masvidal could be among his top interests.

If [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] ever fights again, it appears a matchup with [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] is among his top interests.

ESPN released a long interview with Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) on Monday in which he touched on many subjects revolving around his absence from the octagon since January 2015.

One of the leading narratives, though, is that Diaz was irked by some of the comments Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) made in the buildup to and aftermath of UFC 244, where “Gamebred” beat Diaz’s younger brother, Nate.

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According to a follow-up report from ESPN.com, Diaz is interested in making his comeback in 2020, and Masvidal is the desired opponent.

“You want to talk about baptizing my younger brother? That’s on you,” Diaz told “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.” “I never had nothing disrespectful to say. But you don’t talk about baptizing my younger brother. So you’re already in a (expletive) position if you fight with me. You don’t talk about (expletive) baptizing someone’s brother. That’s my baby brother. You don’t talk like that to nobody.

“So who is riding on whose side? You want to say that, you want to do that, you want to walk, that’s on you. I can relate to you, that’s why I ain’t mad at you. But if you want to walk that’s on you.”

The UFC announced a fight between Diaz and Masvidal for UFC 235 in March, but it was never made official. Diaz insisted from the beginning that he never committed or signed a contract, and as a result felt slighted by the UFC brass.

“I’m on the poster with this guy I’m like, ‘What the (expletive)? Nobody talked to me. What are you talking about?'” Diaz said. “I’m on a poster. What the? C’mon. That’s cool if I’m going to be fighting this guy, but like, why are you doing this to me? You’re just giving this advantage and giving more power to the opposite team. No offense to the opposite team. Let’s just play fair a little bit.”

Diaz indicated his younger brother gave him the green light to do a rare interview and seemingly push the agenda for a Masvidal matchup.

Getting Diaz back in the cage seemingly won’t be easy. He said he needs to be paid and it must be something “big” like a AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

Ultimately, Diaz said the choice will be hi. He’s only fought three times in the past eight years and is nearing the four-year anniversary of his most recent bout, an infamous UFC 183 meeting with Anderson Silva after which both fighters were suspended. Nothing has forced Diaz to operate outside of his chosen path, and he said that won’t change now.

“The BMF, the 170, that’s my belt,” Diaz said. “But I’m not going to get in my brothers way of taking it. As far as I’m concerned that’s my belt. … This ain’t up to no UFC. We’ve seen that in the past already. I don’t need to do anything more than what I’ve already done here. I don’t know what to tell you people. All I know is I’ve got a whole lot of people who feel the same way.”

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