Overview

• Díaz outlined his reasoning during an August 20 livestream with creator Sneako, calling Nurmagomedov “brand new” at the time.
• He said he preferred a top‑five opponent after his 2012 title shot and did not want a newcomer to “make a name” off him.
• Dana White tweeted in January 2014 that Diaz turned the fight down, a claim Diaz previously denied before offering this explanation.
• Diaz and Nurmagomedov never fought, though tensions spilled over in a 2015 Las Vegas brawl and again at UFC 239 in 2019.
• Talk of a Diaz return continues, with Diaz mentioning Max Holloway as a target and Chael Sonnen saying a comeback is possible without any official plan.