Nate Diaz did not hold back while reacting to the fallout from UFC 328 and the criticism surrounding Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev’s heated rivalry.
Following Strickland’s split decision win over Chimaev in the UFC 328 main event on May 9, a large section of the MMA community accused both fighters of manufacturing personal hatred to sell pay-per-views. The backlash intensified moments after the fight ended when the two embraced inside the octagon after months of ugly trash talk, public threats, and physical confrontations during fight week.
Diaz added his voice to the criticism during a recent appearance with Most Valuable Promotions while discussing his upcoming fight against Mike Perry.
“They were faking the funk. They were f*cking acting like crazy and talking all this sh*t to each other and then hugging and showing love like some bitc*es. Fake f*cking puppets.”
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Check out Nate Diaz‘s comments below:
The rivalry between Strickland and Chimaev had become one of the most controversial buildups in recent UFC history. Strickland repeatedly targeted Chimaev’s religion, country, and family during interviews and press conferences, while Chimaev responded with attacks aimed at Strickland’s past trauma and personal life.
Tensions escalated further during the UFC 328 press conference in Newark when Chimaev threw a kick during a faceoff that led to security rushing the stage. Throughout fight week, reports suggested the UFC increased security measures to keep both camps separated due to fears of physical altercations backstage.
The fight itself failed to match the intensity many expected. Chimaev controlled most of the opening round with grappling before fading as the fight progressed. Strickland rallied behind his jab, pressure, and defensive wrestling to edge out a razor-close split decision and reclaim the middleweight title.
Nate Diaz says he will not manufacture fake hatred for Mike Perry fight
Nate Diaz made it clear he has no interest in creating artificial drama ahead of his upcoming fight against Mike Perry at MVP MMA 1 on Saturday in Inglewood, California.
During a conversation on MVP Face 2 Face, Perry referenced the UFC 328 buildup and suggested that controversial trash talk can help attract attention to a fight. Diaz immediately rejected the idea and explained why he believes fans felt manipulated by the Strickland-Chimaev rivalry. He said:
“I was already OK with him. We’re not f*cking friends or anything like that, but I’m not gonna f*cking play around and make no fake, artificial beef with you. I think you’re great. I think what you’re doing is great. I think you’re violent as f*ck, and mean and all that sh*t. I came here to fight, train hard, win and f*ck your sh*t up, just like I know you’re planning on f*cking my sh*t up, and I’m not gonna put no artificial beef out there, OK?”
He added: s
“I saw highlights of [Chimaev and Strickland] hugging and f*cking shaking hands right off the bat, and the whole time, it’s f*cking like you bullsh*tted me. I didn’t bullsh*t nobody. I keep it real all the way through. That’s what I got out of that fight. I didn’t watch it, but I saw the highlights and the feedback on it. And I saw the war that was f*cking bullsh*tted to us. I’m like, you don’t gotta bullsh*t me.”
Edited by Abhishek Nambiar
