UFC 241: Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal Is the Perfect Next Step For Both Fighters

By Adam Martin

After dominating Anthony Pettis in the co-main event of UFC 241, Nate Diaz used his post-fight interview as an opportunity to call out Jorge Masvidal. “Gamebred” was in the audience for the event, and he was shown with a huge grin on his face when Diaz called him out. Fan reaction so far to the fight has been very positive, and UFC President Dana White seems interested in it as well. For good reason, because this would be an amazing fight.

It’s really the perfect callout by Diaz. After missing three years of action after his a majority decision loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 202, Diaz looked amazing against Pettis in what was quite possibly the most complete performance of his MMA career. He looked sharp on the feet with his striking and dominant on the ground with his wrestling. Diaz is 34 years old and all about money fights, so Masvidal is the perfect opponent, because right now he’s at the peak of his career.

Masvidal has never had more star power than he does right now. He’s coming off of a record-setting KO over Ben Askren at UFC 239 and before that knocked out Darren Till at UFC London. Masvidal has made it clear he’s also about money fights. He wasn’t keen on fighting Leon Edwards, but a fight with Diaz piqued his interest for obvious reasons. With Masvidal’s profile at an all-time high and Diaz at the peak of his promotional powers, Diaz-Masvidal would be a big money fight for both the fighters and the UFC.

Stylistically this would be an incredible matchup as well. Both Diaz and Masvidal have fantastic striking skills, and both of them are highly skilled on the ground. Both men have the cardio to go deep into the fight, and both men have the chins and durability to absorb punishment. Pairing them would create an aesthetically beautiful fight that would be fun for the fans to watch. It would be a violent fight but one full of skill. It doesn’t get any better in MMA.

With Colby Covington getting the next shot at UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman, Jorge Masvidal knows he needs to stay active to remain at the forefront of the fans’ minds, and the Diaz fight is the perfect opportunity for him to do that. For Nate Diaz, it’s the chance to take out the hottest fighter in the welterweight division and potentially elevate himself into the top three at 170 lbs. The winner of this bout would obviously be very deserving of a welterweight title shot. The fans want it, the fighters want it, and Dana White wants it. So let’s make Diaz vs. Masvidal happen, and enjoy what is going to be one of the best fights of the year.