UFC boss Dana White seemed embarrassed when asked if ever came close to fighting MMA icon Nate Diaz himself
- Dana White and Nate Diaz recalled a past incident in which they almost came to blows.
- The UFC boss confirmed the story to Insider and other reporters Tuesday.
LAS VEGAS — UFC boss Dana White looked embarrassed when a reporter asked him about an alleged altercation he once had with MMA icon Nate Diaz.
The veteran fighter returns to the Octagon at the pay-per-view show UFC 279 inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, competing against the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev in the headlining match.
It may well be Diaz's last fight with the UFC as he'll be out of contract after the bout.
But, speaking to ESPN just days away from the show, Diaz laughed about a time he "almost beat up Dana White in a club."
Diaz told ESPN: "You should have seen it. He was talking shit. You should ask him. He was talking shit and I was arguing with him."
Diaz said he "shouldn't have been mad at him" but couldn't hold back when they bumped into one another at an afterparty.
The 37-year-old said White had been drinking, and said: "What's up, motherfucker?"
Diaz said: "I was like, 'What's up?' And he's telling me about, 'What do you want?' I was like, 'What the fuck do you think I want? More money and more fucking better fights than everyone here.'"
Fortunately, they didn't come to blows. Diaz even said later in the same interview that he's "on Dana White's side."
Regardless, White lifted the lid on the alleged altercation when talking to Insider and other reporters during a media scrum after the latest episode of the Contender Series had been filmed at the Apex in Las Vegas.
White confirmed 'we were drinking'
"Allegedly," White smiled. "Allegedly. We were drinking," he added, before asking if "anybody else" had "any other questions."
On the legacy Diaz leaves should he never fight for the UFC again after the Chimaev bout Saturday, White said, "He's fought incredible wars for us.
"He's been a big part of this company for a very long time. What more could I ask of Nate Diaz? If Nate is ready to make this his last fight, I wish him all the best in the world. It's been fun. It's really been fun dealing" with Nate and his brother Nick Diaz, White said.
The Diaz brothers 'are legends' of MMA and of the UFC, White said
"At the times, at certain times, it was whatever, but looking back, the Diaz Brothers have been an absolute blast," White said.
"They're legends in this sport. They're legends in this company. These days come with all the guys. If that's what Nate wants, then, yeah, we wish him the best."
Diaz fights Chimaev on Saturday in an event that airs on ESPN, ESPN+, and UFC Fight Pass from 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.