A backstage altercation forward of UFC 310 landed Nate Diaz within the headlines for all of the unsuitable causes after he obtained right into a water bottle combat with members of a crew led by UFC light-weight champion Islam Makhachev.
Whereas the fighters by no means truly traded blows, Diaz and the Russians had been launching water bottles at one another following a press convention that includes Makhachev and his longtime good friend and teammate Umar Nurmagomedov. Now it’s not a complete shock that Diaz shouldered the blame for beginning that near-melee contemplating his historical past with launching drinks at an opponent however at the least one UFC fighter that was additionally backstage that day says the Stockton, Calif., native isn’t responsible.
“A water bottle nearly hit me once I was with [Nate] Diaz, and I’m like, ‘Alright, who the f*ck am I f*cking up?’” UFC flyweight Brandon Royval informed MMA Preventing. “I don’t care who it’s. Diaz is strolling in entrance of me. The water bottle f*cking zooms by my head. That’s one other factor individuals didn’t see. Diaz didn’t throw that first water bottle.
“The primary water bottle was thrown at him. He was strolling, that water bottle zoomed previous, nearly f*cking took me out. I lookup and I’m like, ‘Who the f*ck was that?’ after which Diaz rotated and I’m like, ‘Oh, they’re going after him.’ However initially I assumed these motherf*ckers had been throwing water bottles at me. I used to be like what the f*ck?”
Now Royval, who is predicted to make his return to motion in opposition to Manel Kape on March 1, acknowledges that Diaz in all probability doesn’t care one bit whether or not or not he’s exonerated from beginning the water bottle combat. Nevertheless, as a witness to your complete altercation, he says with confidence that it was a member of Makhachev’s crew who made the primary transfer.
The truth is, Royval even recognized who did it when he almost obtained tagged with the water bottle after which rotated to see if maybe he was going to finish up getting right into a backstage combat.
“I do know precisely who threw the water bottle. I seen it,” Royval revealed. “It was the flyweight Russian child [Tagir Ulanbekov], he was one who threw the primary water bottle. I rotated and noticed it. I noticed who f*cking threw it, it whizzed previous my f*cking head.
“I hear commotion and that water bottle whizzed previous my head and I’m such as you motherf*ckers. I’m like they’re throwing it at [Diaz], it was only a dangerous throw.”
In fact, Diaz not often backs down from a confrontation, and he’s gotten concerned in various incidents exterior the cage, which has landed him in sizzling water now and again.
That’s why Royval is aware of Diaz in all probability couldn’t care much less if he’s the one taking the brunt of the blame for the incident forward of UFC 310.
“F*ck no and he don’t give a shit to clear his title,” Royval stated about Diaz. “However that’s simply the reality. He ain’t the one which threw the primary water bottle. I don’t know if there was one thing that led as much as that beforehand however I used to be strolling in entrance of him for just about the size of that stroll.
“I swear to God, Nate didn’t begin that shit. So far as throwing water bottles, the video exhibits Nate throwing the primary water bottle however any person recorded it as a result of the water bottle is thrown at him first. I used to be within the again, that shit nearly hit me. I used to be like what the f*ck is happening? Oh it’s Nate Diaz in entrance of me. I didn’t even understand.”
