He won. He made millions - according to Dana White - but Nate Diaz still feels disrespected.
The 30-year-old thinks excuses are being made for Conor McGregor. Those excuses have primarily been pertaining to the move up in weight from what was initially expected to be a 155lb fight at UFC 196 to a 170lb fight.
When you consider how brazen McGregor was about that move - apparently it was the Dubliner who suggested the fight be at welterweight rather than a catchweight of 165 - it's tough to feel any sympathy for him in that respect.
Speaking to ESPN, Nate Diaz related how he feels ten days after the fight.
I feel like, honest, I feel like the UFC wants to weed me the fuck out of this position. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that. Sorry. I feel like a lot of people are coming at me now. I see them making a lot of excuses for him, and I think it's kind of ridiculous.
I don't think it's just the UFC. It's everybody. People are saying, 'Oh, [McGregor] is great, he's accepted the loss so well.' If I would have lost, people would be saying, 'piece of shit shouldn't have accepted the fight.' I don't mean to be bitter, but there are a lot of excuses being made for this guy. He's talking about winning the first round. There are five rounds in a fight. Who gives a shit if you won a round? You lost.
Diaz also disputes claims of how much he earned from the fight. His disclosed salary was $500,000 - a good bit off Dana White's assertion of 'millions'.
I made a good amount of money. I think they're over exaggerating how much - I don't feel like anybody did me any favours, I'll tell you that much - but I made a good chunk of change and I'm grateful. I've been demanding that.
I was screwed for a long time. My problem was I was a soldier for a long time. I never even considered money, it was more about not getting my ass whooped. Once I thought about it for two minutes, I realized I was getting fucked. It was stupid not to pay attention to that the whole time. If I had been thinking business since I was 21, I'd be a rich man right now.
What's next for Diaz? He wants Rafael dos Anjos in a lightweight title fight - or failing that, the 'biggest show, the biggest payday'.
I'm thinking probably the lightweight title fight, whatever is biggest. The biggest thing with Lawler and GSP - I would have been all about those fights and I am, but at the same time, my brother [Nick] is coming back and those are his fights. Those are Nick Diaz fights. I'm not trying to step on his shoes. We'll see how things play out. As far as rematches go, I lost close decisions and never got a rematch.
I'm not asking for anything. I'm demanding more than everybody. I want more than everybody, straight up. Money talks. I want the biggest fight. Whoever I've got to fight - the biggest show, biggest payday - that's what I want.
