UFC light-weight champion Islam Makhachev has opened up on his near-brawl with Nate Diaz.
The 2 stars have been in Las Vegas for final month’s UFC 311 presser. Within the pay-per-view headliner subsequent month in Los Angeles, Islam Makhachev will meet rising contender Arman Tsarukyan. The Russian famously handed the younger light-weight a unanimous determination loss in Saint Petersburg again in 2019. Nevertheless, tensions weren’t excessive between Makhachev and his subsequent title challenger on the press convention.
As an alternative, the light-weight champion practically acquired right into a brawl with Nate Diaz’s group. The Stockton native was on the town to nook Kron Gracie at UFC 310 that weekend, who confronted Bryce Mitchell. Backstage on the UFC 311 presser, Diaz threw a water bottle at Islam Makhachev, prompting the champion’s group to throw objects again.
Fortunately, nothing too dangerous broke out between the 2 groups. Nevertheless, it was simply one among a protracted collection of incidents between Nate Diaz, and Islam Makhachev’s group. In 2015, the longtime UFC fan favourite acquired right into a struggle with Khabib Nurmagomedov at a World Sequence of Combating occasion. Nearly a decade later, Diaz practically brawled with ‘The Eagle’s longtime good friend and coaching companion.
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Islam Makhachev displays on water bottle incident with Nate Diaz at UFC 311 presser
Talking in a latest interview with Demetrious Johnson, Islam Makhachev opened up concerning the incident. There, the UFC light-weight champion admitted that he thought issues have been completely superb between himself and Nate Diaz. Nevertheless, Makhachev believes the near-brawl may’ve been set off by the star’s perception that Khabib Nurmagomedov could possibly be with him.
“Subsequent day, they put me inside, near the cage and to take a seat with Dana.” Islam Makhachev said, reflecting on the water bottle incident with Nate Diaz at UFC 310. “Dana mentioned, ‘You’re troublemaker’. I mentioned, ‘Dana, it’s not my fault’. We’re sitting earlier than the struggle day, I’ve press convention and fighters have the official weigh-in. We sit and Diaz begin to present them [the middle finger]. Perhaps, for some folks it’s good, however it’s not our fashion [to let that go].”
He continued, “One of many guys, he put on a masks, possibly he sick and he put on the masks. Perhaps Diaz considering it’s Khabib, and wished to point out him. However that day, Khabib wasn’t in Vegas, he was in our nation. Who is aware of [why Diaz doesn’t like Khabib]. 5 – 6 months in the past, I met Diaz within the elevator within the resort, and he go throughout to me and mentioned ‘Respect’. What modified now?”
What do you make of those feedback from the UFC light-weight champion? How do you suppose a struggle between Islam Makhachev and Nate Diaz would go?
