Nate Diaz surely has a way with words and his recent interview with The MMA Hour’s Ariel Helwani was classic Diaz Bros.
Nate made a lot of sense in the interview and his perspective on the UFC fighters selling themselves short by accepting medicare salaries from the UFC is spot on.
“I think that’s what fighters don’t realize, that this is a business, and if they don’t start treating it as such, no one is going to get nowhere. If you guys keep saying ‘I’ll fight anybody,’ of course you will. That’s why you started, right? That’s why I started. Like, I’ll fight any-motherf*cking-body. I’m in this sh*t to be the best, mother*cker. If you’re not in it to be the best mother*cker, I don’t even know what the f*ck you’re doing it for. If I don’t think I could beat everybody, what the hell am I fighting for? I think I’ll beat everybody still, in every weight class too. I’m not talking about three five-minute rounds. I’m talking about to the realness. I’ll beat everybody. I’ll find a way.
“Treat yourself like a business and quit f*cking (saying) ‘I’ll fight for free,’” Diaz continued. “That don’t help nobody. That’s bad karma for you for even f*cking (saying that). Stupid ass Cowboy Cerrone says that sh*t. That’s bad karma for everybody. You’ll fight for free, now everybody else has got to? Why wouldn’t they pay us? Because they got dumbsh*ts like you fighting for free. Start acting like a businessman and start treating yourself like a business and get your ass paid for being in an Octagon. The whole world watches you fight.
“Entertainers are there in the front row. I’m sitting there with Lil Jon and f*cking Mike Tyson and who else? Everybody. Anyone you could think of that’s famous is sitting front row. Baseball players. These guys are getting paid millions of dollars, and we’re entertaining the entertainers. So doesn’t that make us the crème de la crème? Shouldn’t we be paid the f*ck out? Why are you fighting for free, you dumbsh*t motherf*cker. That sh*t gets on my last nerve.”
Nate is making sure he’s not falling into the same trap as many other top UFC fighters and he’s willing to hold out to maximize his earning potential.
“I’m going to maximize my potential,” Diaz said.” Whatever I can get out of this, I’m going to get. Rip and take. I’m not going to sit back and say I’ll fight anybody. Nah, I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I don’t have to say that. Now I’m like, f*ck you, pay me, motherf*cker.
“Even my last fight, they’re like, ‘finally you’re getting paid, congratulations.’ No, that’s reimbursement, is what that is. I haven’t even been paid yet, and I’m going to continue to represent for my sh*t and say what’s what and get what’s mine, because no one wants to see no other fight.”
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