Manager: Nate Diaz not afraid to fight Nurmagomedov; smart decision is to wait for title shot

Nate Diaz is not afraid to fight anyone, according to his manager, but with the current state of the UFC lightweight division, it might be wiser to wait for opportunity.

“We could be looking at a title fight,” Mike Kogan told MMAjunkie. “I think it’s a smart business decision to sit around for a little bit.”

Kogan said injuries have ravaged the UFC lightweight division, and Diaz (17-9 MMA, 12-7 UFC) stands to capitalize when champ Anthony Pettis (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) heals from a recent knee surgery.

“Pettis already said he wanted to fight Nate,” Kogan said. “Why does he want to fight Nate? He knows it’s a money fight. That’s the name of the game. Who else would bring that much money? (Benson) Henderson? F–k no.”

After Diaz’s first-round stoppage of two-time lightweight title contender Gray Maynard (11-3-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC) at this past November’s The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale, Pettis said he’d be open to a fight prior to taking on featherweight champ Jose Aldo in the summer.

Kogan’s phone didn’t ring for a title shot, however. Instead, he said the UFC recently offered a bout at UFC 170 with Khabib Nurmagomedov (21-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) when ex-Strikeforce champ Gilbert Meldendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) reportedly turned the matchup down after the promotion announced it.

Kogan said he asked to rework Diaz’s contract with “some changes and some modifications.” When the UFC said no, Diaz’s camp turned down the bout, a fact which UFC President Dana White made public on Twitter.

Since then, Kogan said he’s had to deal with critics who say Diaz is afraid to fight.

“So now we’re forced to defend ourselves,” he said. “I thought these kind of conversations were kept between us in private. We asked for a new contract. They said, ‘Not after one win. That’s not happening.’ OK, cool, we’ll turn down this fight, which is our right to do, according to our contract. I don’t know how this turns into, everybody is scared to fight Khabib.”

Kogan didn’t fault Nurmagomedov for jumping into the conversation via social media but said the fighter isn’t at a point in his career when he can demand to face top-level fighters.

“Khabib, while being a gangster fighter, he hasn’t paid his dues in the UFC yet,” he said. “Nate’s been there for eight f–king years. Eight f–king years, and you’ve got people on Twitter talking about his integrity? Are you people smoking some kind of crack?”

Kogan had harsh words for anyone who questioned Melendez’s mettle, as well.

“I guarantee you his issues have nothing to do with being scared to fight Khabib,” he said. “Maybe, just maybe, he could be working on a new contract, and maybe s–t isn’t going his way. Maybe he’s exercising his right as an American to earn a living and not be one of those f–kers that tweets, ‘I’ll fight for free.’ Maybe he says I have a value, and I’d like to stick with it.”

Although he didn’t say he would do it for free, UFC lightweight Michael Johnson did take to Twitter to say he would fight the undefeated Nurmagomedov at UFC 170, which takes place Feb. 22 at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center. Johnson shouldn’t expect a thanks from Kogan.

“I don’t even know who the f–k that is,” he said. “[Johnson is] out there going, ‘Nate doesn’t want to fight me. I guess I’ll just fight Khabib.’ Who the f–k are you? Are you on the horizon? Where are you? What have you done? People are yapping a little too much.”

As to whether his chatter might prompt a backlash from the UFC, which isn’t always eager to air its behind-the-scenes chatter, Kogan was unconcerned.

“We have our story; they have their story,” he said. “If they are contradicting each other, somewhere in the middle lies the truth. Should I be afraid to speak my mind? I’m not. I don’t work over there, so what do I have to be afraid of? What are they going to do?

“This isn’t f–king China. I don’t believe this idea that if you speak your mind, the Dana White army is going to come to your house and take away your kids and drive you to the pool house. Tito Ortiz retired from the UFC, and God know’s what he’s done. Our job is to train hard, show up and fight. That’s what Nate does, and I don’t think anybody can question that.”

As of this writing, Nurmagomedov remains without an opponent.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Nate Diaz)