Only a week out from his title return at UFC 311, Islam Makhachev has spilled on his backstage altercation with Nate Diaz throughout a pre-fight occasion final month, which concerned the Stockton veteran launching water bottles within the route of his crew.
Makhachev, the present undisputed light-weight champion and pound-for-pound primary fighter underneath the banner of the promotion, is ready to return at UFC 311 subsequent weekend, rematching primary contender, Arman Tsarukyan within the headliner.
Picture by way of: Getty
As for Diaz, the previous light-weight title challenger and Final Fighter winner has been out of motion since UFC 279, the place he fought out his contract in a fourth spherical come-from-behind submission win over former interim gold holder, Tony Ferguson.
Linked with a return to motion later this yr in a deal to re-up with the promotion, Diaz cornered coaching associate, Kron Gracie at UFC 310 final month, with the Brazilian struggling an eventual knockout loss to Bryce Mitchell following a barrage of floor strikes.
Nevertheless, positioned backstage forward of the ceremonial weigh ins, Nate Diaz and Islam Makhachev’s crew traded verbals behind the scenes, earlier than water bottles had been launched in one another’s route, with safety personnel and UFC officers preserving each groups separated.
Islam Makhachev reveals backstage spat with Nate Diaz
And sharing his story of how the occasion unfolded, Russian star, Makhachev claimed Diaz — who was beforehand respectful of him, flipped the script and flipped him off backstage earlier than the fiasco.
“You know, and next day they [the UFC] put me inside, like close to the cage,” Islam Makhachev informed Demetrious Johnson. “I sit with Dana (White), and Dana com to me and say, you might be troublemaker, you recognize. I say, Dana, it’s not my fault. We sit within the, earlier than the combat day. I’ve press convention, the fighters have official weigh-in. We sit and (Nate) Diaz begin to present them like, you recognize. Your center finger. Yeah.For what? Yeah.
“You already know, possibly for somebody it’s good, no downside, but it surely’s not our fashion as a result of one of many man, he put on the masks, you recognize. Possibly he’s sick somewhat bit, he put on the masks and possibly Diaz pondering, oh, it’s Khabib (Nurmagomedov) and present him, you recognize.
“But that day Khabib not in Vegas, he’s in some other country, you know,” Islam Makhachev continued. “…You know what the interesting [thing is], like maybe five, six months ago, I meet Diaz in the elevator in the Wynn hotel. He go to cross to me and say, respect, respect, respect, just walk. But what changed now, when a lot of cameras come, they always people change, you know.”
