Diaz-Masvidal to headline UFC 244 on Nov. 2
One of many largest MMA fights of 2019 is ready.
Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal will occur at UFC 244 on Nov. 2 at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York, Dana White instructed ESPN’s Brett Okamoto on Saturday. The welterweight struggle will headline the occasion.
“It’s the struggle followers wished to see,” White instructed Okamoto. “Nate Diaz known as out Masvidal after his win over Pettis. All people has been speaking about it. Folks have been hitting me up on social media, telling me too get it achieved. I can now announce the struggle is completed.”
It won’t be a title struggle, White instructed Okamoto.
“I will put collectively a belt for these two, they’ll struggle for the ‘BMF’ belt,” White instructed Okamoto. “It is a kind of fights that’s enjoyable, attention-grabbing, followers are into it — you need to see for 5 rounds, but it is too massive to be a struggle night time. So we made it a pay-per-view. I’ll find yourself stacking this card with killer fights. The primary occasion will probably be these two.”
The UFC won’t ebook a title struggle to MSG, as a result of in White’s phrases,”I’d by no means put a title struggle beneath this. There will not be a title struggle [at MSG].”
The reserving comes after a frenetic week of negotiations between the UFC and a number of fighters, sources say.
Late final week, the UFC tried to ebook UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington for the MSG headliner. After failing to come back to phrases with Covington on a deal, the UFC moved on and provided the title struggle to Masvidal, in accordance with sources. After coming to phrases with Masvidal on Wednesday, the promotion was unable to strike a cope with Usman. That prompted the UFC to succeed in out to prime contender Leon Edwards to see if he could be interested by preventing Masvidal for the vacant title after a risk was made to strip Usman.
The talks with Edwards did not progress as a result of within the midst of all this a chance offered itself to ebook Diaz vs. Masvidal because the MSG headliner, sources say. As soon as it was clear there was mutual pursuits between all events to make that struggle occur, the UFC targeted all its consideration over the previous day or so to ebook that struggle. They have been in a position to finalize it Friday afternoon, ESPN has discovered.
The struggle is one between two of the preferred fighters within the sport in the present day. Diaz (20-11) regarded dominant in his return from a three-year layoff final month when he defeated Anthony Pettis through unanimous choice. His rivalry with Conor McGregor in 2016 reworked him into one of many largest attracts in MMA historical past.
Masvidal (34-13) has had an exceptional 12 months in his personal proper, as he knocked out Darren Until in March and adopted that up with a five-second knockout of Ben Askren in July. The latter is the quickest knockout in UFC historical past.
Following Diaz’s win at UFC 241, he mentioned he wished Masvidal subsequent.
He obtained his want.
The rumored struggle between Usman and Covington appears to have fallen by for now.
“That struggle fully fell aside between these two … Bear in mind this, I placed on fights for a dwelling. That is what I do,” White instructed Okamoto. “After I exit and inform you we’re doing this man versus this man, this man’s subsequent — if that does not occur, it is not due to me … What guys say publicly and what goes on behind closed doorways are two various things. One factor about me, I do not look forward to anyone. I do not care how massive of a star you’re. I’ve a struggle at MSG. Folks need to go purchase tickets and we have to get shifting.”
The promotion has another pay-per-view left in 2019 after UFC 244, and that is UFC 245 on Dec. 14 in Las Vegas.
The occasion at Madison Sq. Backyard will mark the UFC’s fourth journey to the sector since 2016.