Nate Diaz has teased a return to the UFC, as speculation grows over which fighters could compete at the White House in June.
UFC president Dana White, a close friend of US president Donald Trump, is planning an unprecedented card for 14 June, when the Octagon is due to be built on the South Lawn. The event, a celebration of 250 years of the United States, is scheduled on Mr Trump’s 80th birthday, and details so far have pertained to attendees, security and the prospective number of fights.
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Ari Emanuel – CEO of the UFC’s parent company, TKO – has suggested there will be “3,000-4,000” attendees and “other areas” to watch the fights, and his colleague Mark Shapiro said no tickets will be sold. Emanuel also suggested there will be “six or seven” fights, while White referenced snipers on the roof of the White House as a security measure.
Amid these sporadic updates, however, there has been no news on who will fight, with White saying he is matchmaking with colleague Mick Maynard this week. And fans are now wondering whether Diaz could feature, despite the American not having fought in the UFC since 2022.
Diaz, 40, took to Instagram on Wednesday to write, “Unfinished business,” while posting a photo of the UFC’s “Baddest Motherf*****” (BMF) title.
He also shared photos and videos of some of his most iconic moments, including his submission of Conor McGregor in 2016 and his point at Leon Edwards after rocking the Briton in 2021.
Nate Diaz (left) during a 2021 defeat by Leon Edwards (Getty Images)
The post led numerous Instagram users to comment with references to the White House and McGregor, with whom the Diaz traded wins in 2016. After submitting Irish star McGregor, Diaz was outpointed by the former champion five months later.
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The pair have long been linked to a trilogy bout, which White has always been keen on, despite Diaz’s absence from the UFC and McGregor’s own time away from the cage. McGregor, 37, has faced numerous legal issues in recent years and has not fought since 2021, when he suffered a broken leg. Still, he remains desperate to fight at the White House.
Diaz, since leaving the UFC with a submission win over Tony Ferguson, has boxed twice, losing to YouTuber Jake Paul but beating old UFC rival Jorge Masvidal.
Masvidal stopped Diaz in 2019 in the inaugural BMF title fight, and although Masvidal retired from mixed martial arts in 2023, he is also keen to compete on the South Lawn.
UFC president Dana White (left) with friend and US president Donald Trump (REUTERS)
The BMF belt is currently held by Max Holloway, who will defend it against Charles Oliveira on 7 March. The pair compete at lightweight and are both ex-featherweights; with Diaz largely competing at welterweight towards the end of his UFC run, it is hard to imagine he would face Holloway or Oliveira at lightweight.
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This week, White ruled out a White House fight between McGregor and Colby Covington – one of Mr Trump’s favourite fighters – having previously dismissed the idea of the Irishman facing Masvidal or Michael Chandler. Masvidal is also a friend of the US president.
