Nate Diaz has made it clear that he’s not keen on stepping into the octagon with Dustin Poirier while the latter is on the sidelines. Following Poirier’s retirement after a unanimous decision loss to Max Holloway at UFC 318 in July 2025, the former interim champion hinted he might return for a fight against Diaz.
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Diaz, now 41, expressed his disinterest in facing Poirier as long as he remains retired. “I’m open to it if he gets back in there and starts fighting again,” Diaz stated.
He continued to emphasize his stance, saying, “I don’t engage with fighters who have stepped away from competition. He left a bit too soon for my liking, so it’s not something that excites me right now. He needs to re-enter the scene and start mixing it up again. Where did he go? Now he wants to come back just for me? No thanks. He should take a break and rest up.”
Diaz didn’t hold back as he reflected on Poirier’s emotional post-fight moments, suggesting that his retirement announcement came from a place of vulnerability. “He got caught up in the moment after that fight, and suddenly he’s saying he’s done. It was a whole dramatic scene where he shared his feelings and then, a couple of weeks later, he’s like, ‘I want to fight Nate.’ It’s like, did you even really leave? You’re just backtracking now.”
With a fiery tone, Diaz concluded, “Stop being a coward and get back in the game. Start mixing it up with other fighters.”
As the MMA world watches this back-and-forth unfold, fans are left wondering if Poirier will heed Diaz’s call and return to the octagon. What’s next for these two fighters?
