Nate Diaz wants to fight but says he is being ‘put on the shelf’

August 20, 2016 was the last time Nate Diaz stepped into the Octagon for a fight.

Following a majority decision loss to his rival Conor McGregor at UFC 202, Diaz has stated that he is only looking for big fights that will result in a big payday. Given his history and payouts for his two bouts with Conor McGregor, a third fight between the two fighters is sure to bring in the cash once again.

However, with McGregor holding the lightweight title and taking at least the first half of 2017 off from competition for the birth of his first child, Diaz seems to be itching to get back to competition but isn’t sure when he’ll get a fight.

“I know what this is: I’m being put on the shelf,” Diaz told the Los Angeles Times on Saturday night while in attendance to watch the Bellator 170 event in California.

“That’s why I’m trying to get a boxing license,” Diaz stated.

Los Angeles Times was able to get a statement from UFC President Dana White via text message and said, “Nate said the only fight he wants is Conor … I haven’t heard a word from him [since August]. Usually when guys want a fight, they call.”

When The Times replied that Nate may be waiting for a call from the UFC instead, White replied with an emoji with eyes rolled up.

“No one in MMA wants it,” Diaz said of another massive fight. “No one says they want a big-deal fight against me. If someone wants to fight, then let’s make a big deal.”

A part of the issue is that not many fighters have the drawing power like Conor McGregor, who has headlined four of the top five pay-per-view events in UFC history. However, one big piece of that recipe for pay-per-view success is Nate Diaz, as both his fights against McGregor at UFC 196 and UFC 202 are among the reported top five UFC pay-per-view events.

Aside from a third fight with Conor McGregor, which opponent could be placed opposite of Nate Diaz in the Octagon to draw a massive audience? Let’s hear what everyone has to say in the comment section!

This article first appeared on 1/24/2017.