Dana White Reacts To Nate Diaz Wanting To Headline UFC 222

UFC President Dana White has reacted to the news that one of the biggest draws for the promotion wants to fight again.

Nate Diaz, who transitioned into a big star for the promotion after his fights with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, has gone on record by stating that he would like to fight soon.

How soon? UFC 222 to be exact. The younger Diaz brother got fight fans around the world talking earlier this week when he told LA Times’ Lance Pugmire that he is willing to step into the main event of UFC 222.

The promotion lost its original main event of UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway defending his title against Frankie Edgar at the PPV event. That fight has been put on delay yet again because of a leg injury that the champion suffered.

On Monday night, White said in a text message to Pugmire that Diaz is not an option. He also issued the following statement to the journalist that he said as recently as last week about Diaz fighting again soon:

“He [Diaz] doesn’t want to fight. We have made around five or six fights in the last six months, and he has turned them all down. [Eddie] Alvarez, [Justin] Gaethje, [Edson] Barboza and [interim lightweight champion Tony] Ferguson multiple times.”

White and other UFC officials are on a time schedule with this event as it’s slated to go down on March 3, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada with the main card will air on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET while the preliminary card will air on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET.