Nate Diaz simply doesn’t get over grudges. The outspoken former UFC fighter revisited the infamous UFC 311 presser brawl, claiming Islam lied about running into him in an elevator. He also couldn’t resist mocking Khabib for getting kicked off a Frontier Airlines flight, taking a jab at the MMA legend’s refusal to comply with flight attendant instructions.
Earlier Makhachev had told reporters that he had met Diaz in an elevator a few months and he had a different attitude back then but the ‘Stockton Slugger’ has no recollection of this ever happening. Diaz also made a rather inappropriate joke and claimed that he couldn’t tell which one the Dagestani fighters Islam was.
“I was just there to corner my boy and these ewoks were looking for clout. Wtf did I do lol? And I never saw this guy in an elevator—wtf, I thought religious people didn’t lie? Wtf is happening?”
View this post on Instagram
He then shifted his focus to Khabib’s airplane debacle and asked if he couldn’t say the most basic words.
“And wtf happened to champ? All you had to do was say yes, champ. I gotta go.”
Diaz’s remarks don’t come as a surprise since he has time and again shots at the Dagestani camp, claiming that they were not real fighters. In 2019, Diaz had claimed that he doesn’t hate wrestlers. He just doesn’t like the “jocky attitude” and wasn’t interested in that kind of fighting.
“F**k Khabib. Khabib is the worst. Just look at him, he ran off, he’s a jock. It’s not my style of fighting. I don’t like it. If that’s how you fight, that’s cool. But the style in general, he’s not a real fighter. Him, DC [Daniel Cormier], certain guys… I’m a real fighter.”
Khabib and Diaz have been trash-talking each other for years. They were beefing even during their individual primes but unfortunately, the two could never agree to a fight. Since Khabib’s retirement, Diaz had dialed down the beef. But the Frontier Airlines incident appears to have given him new fodder.
Besides, what did Islam exactly say about Diaz to provoke such a response?
What happened in the elevator with Islam and Nate?
During a YouTube video with Demetrious Johnson, the ‘Mighty Mouse’ asked Islam about the bottle-throwing incident after the UFC 311 presser.
Nate Diaz and Islam Makhachev’s team throwing water bottles at each other after the #UFC311 press conference
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 7, 2024
Makhachev claimed that the Stockton fighter randomly started flipping him off and causing a scene for no apparent reason. Implying that this took him by shock since Diaz had shown him respect in an elevator months ago.
“We sit and Diaz start to show [middle finger]. For what?…Maybe 5-6 months ago I meet Diaz in an elevator… he say ‘respect, respect.’ But what changed now?”
Islam Makhachev talks about the Nate Diaz water bottle incident:
“We sit and Diaz start to show [middle finger]. For what?…
Maybe 5-6 months ago I meet Diaz in an elevator… he say ‘respect, respect’. But what changed now?”
@MighyMouse #UFCpic.twitter.com/m7FguRTNzc
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 7, 2025
Diaz, known for his fiery personality and refusal to back down from any confrontation, has made a career out of being unpredictable and unapologetically himself. The thought of him showing deference to a member of Team Khabib, especially after their longstanding rivalry is a little hard to believe.
However, without any evidence, it is impossible to tell! Whether Makhachev’s story reflects a momentary truce or a misunderstanding, it’s clear the animosity between Diaz and Team Khabib runs deep.
