If Michael Chandler is willing, Nate Diaz is ready to accept.
As he awaits the opportunity to fulfill his contractual obligations to the UFC with one bout remaining on his current deal, Diaz has targeted UFC 277 on July 30 as the date he would like to compete.
After rumors surfaced that the promotion wanted to book him against Khamzat Chimaev on that date, Diaz claimed the undefeated Chechen was unable to compete in July and now he’s turned his attention to a potential fight against Chandler instead.
“UFC got me on ice for a year now,” Diaz wrote on Twitter. “Chandler’s obviously ready to fight. Send a contract, it’s time.”
Diaz has been locked in a contentious negotiation with the UFC over his final fight with the one-time title challenger attempting to set up a showdown against Dustin Poirier on multiple occasions. Time and time again, the UFC balked at that request while essentially refusing to entertain the idea of Diaz facing Poirier.
Instead, the UFC wanted to book Diaz against Chimaev, who just recently dispatched Gilbert Burns in a potential Fight of the Year candidate when they met in March.
After posting that he was targeting a welterweight fight at UFC 277 for the final bout on his deal, Chandler responded by saying “I’m there, quick turnaround, spin your head on its axis.”
Of course, Chandler is just days removed from his stunning second-round knockout over Tony Ferguson where he planted a front kick directly on the chin of the former interim lightweight champion, which sent him face first down to the canvas.
Following the fight, Chandler called for a title shot against Charles Oliveira but also mentioned his interest in facing Conor McGregor after he returns from the broken leg he suffered in his last outing in January 2021.
Once Diaz became another possible option, Chandler took aim at him as well.
“Hey Nate Diaz …shut up and stop complaining,” Chandler wrote. “Keep your mouth shut. Keep your head down until your daddy books a fight for you to get your sacrificial dome bounced off the canvas again. Maybe it’ll be me…if you’re lucky. See you at the top!”
It remains to be seen if the UFC will actually book the fight but Diaz is obviously interested in Chandler is game to meet him at welterweight in July.
