Islam Makhachev and Nate Diaz were captured hurling water bottles at one another backstage following yesterday’s (Dec. 6) UFC 311 press conference. Islam Makhachev will headline the pay-per-view card against title challenger Arman Tsarukyuan, and the promotion held a media scrum as part of the build-up.
Diaz, who will not feature at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, was in Las Vegas to attend UFC 310, which takes place on Dec. 7. A longtime friend and teammate of the Stockton native, Kron Gracie, will make his return to the octagon against Bryce Mitchell on the main card of the pay-per-view event.
Dustin Poirier, a former opponent of Islam Makhachev and a near-opponent of Diaz, came across the footage of the backstage incident online. ‘The Diamond’ shared a short reaction, but his post left little doubt in the minds of fans about his desire to face Diaz in the octagon.
Nate Diaz and Islam Makhachev’s team throwing water bottles at each other after the #UFC311 press conference 😳
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 7, 2024
🎥 @espnmma #UFC #MMA
pic.twitter.com/cI89v0Vva4
Poirier wrote this:
“Bring back Nate and let me smash him.”
Check out Dustin Poirier’s post below:
Bring nate back and let me smash him
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) December 7, 2024
With the former interim lightweight champion having recently indicated that he will almost certainly only fight once more, a clash with someone of the profile of Diaz would be excatly what ‘The Diamond’ had hoped for.