Islam Makhachev is puzzled by Nate Diaz‘s hostility towards him, which led to a backstage altercation involving water bottles, and believes it may have been for show, especially given Diaz previously showed respect in private.
Islam Makhachev is puzzled about why Nate Diaz is upset with him. Just last December, they made headlines after a backstage scuffle involving water bottles. It happened during the UFC 311 press conference, while Diaz was there for his teammate Kron Gracie at the UFC 310 weigh-ins. According to Makhachev, it all started when Diaz flipped off his team.
“Next day they put me close to the cage,” Makhachev shared with Demetrious Johnson. “I sat with Dana and Dana came to me and said, ‘You are a troublemaker.’ I said, ‘Dana, it’s not my fault!’” Before fight day, at the press conference and official weigh-ins, Diaz suddenly showed him the finger. Makhachev was baffled—why? Not their style at all.
This altercation seemed to come out of thin air for Makhachev. Diaz had never fought anyone from his team before. The only link he could think of was Diaz’s past rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov, which never turned into a fight. Maybe that was it?
“One of the guys wore a mask,” Makhachev explained. “He was sick a little bit and wore the mask, and maybe Diaz thinking it’s Khabib.” But Khabib wasn’t even in Vegas that day; he was abroad.
Ultimately, nothing serious occurred. After some water bottle exchanges, security quickly intervened, and Makhachev’s team left. Reflecting on it all, Makhachev suspects it might have been just for show.
Interestingly enough, five or six months ago, Makhachev bumped into Diaz in an elevator at Wynn Hotel in Vegas. “He goes to me and says, ‘Respect, respect, respect.’ But what changed now?” Cameras change people sometimes.
“We don’t have something,” Makhachev insisted. If there were issues, he would’ve addressed them right then at Wynn Hotel. Yet when cameras rolled in, things shifted—people assumed he started it!
Makhachev clarified he wasn’t the instigator. Security wanted his team out of the arena; he protested: “Hey, it’s not the guys’ fault!” They insisted on interviews without his team present—he refused. So they canceled all interviews [laughs].
Now, Makhachev is set to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Exciting times ahead!