Nixed Nate Diaz-Khabib Nurmagomedov bout was to serve as main event for April 11 UFC card

When UFC President Dana White revealed that a planned Nate Diaz (17-9 MMA, 12-7 UFC) vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (21-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) bout was scratched because he couldn’t come to terms with one of the involved parties, it was assumed that the contest was planned for UFC 170. However, that was not the case.

MMAjunkie today learned from a source with knowledge of the UFC’s intended plans that company executives hoped to pair Diaz and Nurmagomedov in a five-round main event at an as-yet-unannounced April 11 UFC event.

The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the plans. Exactly where the fight was to take place and whether it would serve as a pay-per-view, FOX, FOX Sports 1 or UFC Fight Pass event also was not revealed.

The undefeated Nurmagomedov was initially linked to a UFC 170 bout with Gilbert Melendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) when the two lightweights’ names appeared on a promotional poster created by UFC officials. Multiple news outlets later reported the fight as a done deal, as well, but White took to Twitter to announce the fight was “not done yet.”

It has since been reported that Melendez is currently in contract negotiations with the UFC and therefore could not be offered a bout until the terms were agreed to on both sides. That’s expected to happen shortly.

However, with Melendez not under contract and UFC 170 a little more than one month away, UFC officials realized it didn’t make sense to book fast-rising contender Nurmagomedov against a top opponent on short notice and instead looked to a future fight card. The April 11 date was then presented to Diaz’s camp, but they declined the matchup unless the fighter’s existing contract could undergo “some changes and some modifications,” according to Diaz’s manager, Mike Kogan.

UFC officials declined to offer new terms for the existing deal, and Diaz’s camp nixed the headlining slot.

So for now, Nurmagomedov waits for his next assignment, and the April 11 event remains unannounced and without a main event. Meanwhile, UFC 170 takes place Feb. 22 at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center. UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey meets fellow Olympic medalist Sara McMann in the evening’s main event.

For more on UFC 170 and the unannounced UFC in April event, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Nate Diaz)