Eddie Alvarez: Nate Diaz ‘got a taste for money and now he changed’

Has money changed the Diaz Bros? That seems to be Eddie Alvarez’s read on it. The former UFC lightweight champion is out there looking for his next fight; a return to action after a second round KO loss to Conor McGregor, at UFC 205 back in November of last year. And one of the first people it seems Eddie had in mind was former lightweight title contender Nate Diaz.

But it looks like Diaz has turned Eddie down in hopes of a bigger money matchup (transcript via MMA Fighting).

“I’m shocked,” Alvarez told Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour “He got a taste of that money and now he changed.”
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“I really thought that Nate Diaz would have fought me,” Alvarez said. “He said a lot of stuff in Mexico. He looks at me funny in lobbies and sh*t like that. I thought if worst comes to worst, Nate would definitely fight me. I was actually shocked when they gave him a bout agreement and he said no to that. I thought he would fight me for sure.”

That’s not to say Alvarez doesn’t get why Nate’s not taking the fight, or the thought process behind it. It’s all economics. A fight with him just isn’t worth nearly as much as a fight with Conor McGregor.

“I understand his thought process,” Alvarez said. “I have an idea of what he’s getting paid. It wouldn’t make sense for him to take a normal pay check for him to fight me. It would make sense for him to wait 10 years and possibly get the Conor fight, rather than fight me and be impatient. It would make more sense for him to be patient. So I understand the business aspect of it. It’s intelligent of him to do, but eventually you’re gonna have to get back in the cage. Time is ticking. We’ll see.”

So, what’s next for “the Underground King”? Not Michael Chiesa, who Alvarez claims would be “a guy who has fought no one yet.” But, there’s an offer for a Dustin Poirier fight on the table as well. And while it’s maybe not the “big name” that Alvarez is looking for, he does sound a bit more receptive to the idea. Maybe fans will see Alvarez vs. Poirier on an upcoming card, if nothing better comes along.