It is said that for a feud to be settled, both sides must want it to end.
In that vein, UFC President Dana White and Nate Diaz have started to talk again and this can and should be taken as the first positive sign for the beleaguered fighter to return to the organization that made him famous. On Saturday, White revealed that he has made limited progress with Diaz after the two spent a night out on the town.
“I took everybody out for the TUF 20 finale,” White told the assembled media post-fight in Macau, China. “It was a very, very, very rough night. A lot of damage was done that night. But Nate and I got together that night and talked, and we’re going to get together when I get back into the country.”
When the media asked White to explain the meaning behind saying ‘damage was done,’ he said “Brain cells. Physically it was a pretty crazy night. Crazy fun night. But Nate and I got to spend some quality time together.”
Although this appears positive, the two sides are said to still be far apart on a deal. Diaz (17-9) last competed in November of 2013 where he knocked out Gray Maynard. Diaz has attempted to restructure a new deal with White proclaiming last month that the fighter did not warrant more money because he “doesn’t move the needle.”
As for a return, the UFC President still remained cautiously optimistic.
“We’ll see what happens,” White said. “You know, we were out having fun, we talked business for a little while. We got together in a room, and where he is and where we are, we’re not even close. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’ve always liked Nate Diaz, I’ve always had a great relationship with Nate Diaz. It’s not like I don’t like the kid and he’s hard to deal with. He’s just got something in his head and we’ve got something else in our head.”
