Nate Diaz has been handed a six-month ban after suffering a potential fracture in his left hand in his defeat to Mike Perry.
The Stockton native returned to the cage for the first time in four years on Saturday night against BMF star and former UFC fighter Perry. Diaz was brutally battered for the majority of the contest, before referee Mike Beltran deemed the MMA veteran unable to continue competing in between rounds due to several facial lacerations.
Just days on from the co main event on the Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano card, the California State Athletic Commission officially released its full list of medical suspensions from the showcase. Diaz was slapped with a 180-day medical suspension – pending clearance from a physician.
However, if Diaz is medically cleared within the next few weeks, his medical ban could be cut down to 60 days – meaning he’d be free to fight at least once more this year should he wish. Perry, on the other hand, only received a 45-day medical suspension. Diaz was not the only fighter to be banned from fighting for six months. Jefferson Creighton was also slapped with the same suspension following his 22 second knockout defeat to Jason Jackson.
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Diaz was struggling with his vision towards the dying embers of the second round due to the fact that both of his eyes were covered in blood. The 41-year-old is never usually a fan of a fight being waved off due to such circumstances, and would much rather go out on his shield. However, he had no issue with the stoppage this past weekend.
“‘You should hang them up,’” Diaz said at the post fight press conference. “Maybe I just don’t fight the most violent. Maybe I just fight the second most violent. People just like, ‘Maybe I’m done. I’m retired. Here’s my gloves in the cage.’ I’m like, ‘You should’ve just not fought the most violent [expletive] out there alive and you would’ve been okay.”
It remains to be seen whether or not Diaz will fight in the cage again. The American has not won a fight in the octagon since submitting Tony Ferguson four years ago at UFC 279. Ahead of the Netflix showdown with Perry, Diaz had been rumoured to face Conor McGregor for a third time.
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But a clash failed to materialise – with McGregor now set to take on Max Holloway in July. Just moments after Diaz’s loss, McGregor was quick to take aim at his former rival, while also expressing his interest in a third meeting with him. “I see why Nate Diaz didn’t take the fight lol,” McGregor wrote on social media. “Anyway, here’s to when I get my hands on you, you lanky streak of p***. #TrilogyAndIGonnaNeedMyMoney.”