Dana White is a fiery character.
So it came as no surprise when TMZ reported that the UFC president had stormed out of a last-minute meeting with Nate Diaz in Stockton after negotiations over his rescheduled rematch with Conor McGregor did not go to plan.
But Diaz has spoken for the first time since that meeting and he’s claimed that those reports were played up and that the discussions weren’t as bad as initially claimed.
“No, that was exaggerated,” Diaz said in an extended interview on The MMA Hour. “We all walked out. It wasn’t the best meeting, but it wasn’t the worst meeting. We took a picture by that mural they got downtown. That was afterwards, then we talked a little more.
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“They were cool and I was cool, it was just business talk. We didn’t leave on the happiest notes, but I think stuff’s getting done. We’re moving forward.”
The reason behind negotiations for Diaz vs. McGregor II falling apart at that meeting is that Diaz, who beat the Irishman via second round submission at UFC 196, is holding out for more money than he had agreed to for their initial rematch – originally slated for UFC 200 in July.
“This is a new deal,” Diaz explained. “This is a new fight. It’s not UFC 200, it’s 202 now. I said yes to 200 and I wasn’t happy, I was rushed into my last thing anyway.
“Why do I have to fight this guy in two months from now? Can I get built up a little? Conor McGregor’s artificial, he didn’t get where he is from whooping all kinds of asses and shit. I’m where I’m at because I’ve been in fight after fight after fight. I didn’t do no media. I didn’t do no shit. Strictly fighting.”
Diaz reiterated how he felt his drawing power was being underestimated by the promotional powers that be and that he believed he had earned a bigger paycheck with his upset victory over ‘The Notorious’ in March.
He said: “We went to lunch and we had a talk and everything went how it did and they went home. I just basically told them what was up. ‘Listen that was the second biggest fight they had, on 10 days (notice)’
“Everyone knows that Conor McGregor’s a big draw, but I know that I do bigger numbers than everybody too, they just haven’t put me on PPVs, they’ve been putting me on Fox cards and any time I’ve been on a PPV, I’ve been on a co-main event or something so someone else has been getting credit for my numbers.
“If you look at my Fox numbers, I was getting between 3 million and 5 million views. So, I think I had a lot to do with that draw.
“So I said, ‘That was one of the biggest fights you’ve had on 10 days notice and he’s your biggest draw and I beat him, so if you don’t mind I would like to be compensated better than I was the last time or that they were trying to offer me. I’ve said yes to this fight with Conor McGregor six times and I won the one time I fought him. So you’re giving me this up and down bullshit about whatever.”
