Matt Brown Confirms Fight with Nate Diaz Has Been Nixed
The welterweight fight between Matt Brown and Nate Diaz, planned for the already loaded UFC 189 fight card during International Fight Week in Las Vegas, quickly gathered steam as one of the most anticipated fights of the summer. But as quickly as it caught the attention of fans, the fight fizzled into obscurity.
UFC officials confirmed the bout to UFC Tonight last week, but almost as soon as it was announced, Diaz shot it down, tweeting, “Nah, I'm fighting Pettis.”
Nobody was really sure what to make of Diaz's tweet, but he subsequently appeared on The MMA Hour to explain his side of things.
While he thinks it's a “great fight,” Diaz said he was never talked to about the fight being a done deal before it was announced, adding, “I would really like to know a little bit more about what I'm doing, instead of just, you know, being strong-armed into a fight. I don't need to hear that I'm fighting this guy before it was even negotiated or worked out, and now I'm saying ‘no, that fight is not official.'”
It now appears that the fight won't be negotiated any further, as Brown confirmed on Wednesday that the bout has been nixed.
Fight against @NateDiaz209 isn't happening. I'll update you guys soon as I get the word on opponent/date/ thanks for the support as always!
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) April 15, 2015
By the way I like watching Diaz fight lw's I wish him the best of luck in the future and I'll be watching every time he fights
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) April 15, 2015
As of the time of publication, UFC officials had yet to comment on the scrapped bout or another opponent or date for either fighter.
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Diaz's hopes to fight Anthony Pettis, however, won't be in the offing, as the former lightweight champion's next bout was announced on Tuesday… and it wasn't against Diaz. Pettis will face Myles Jury on the UFC on FOX 16 fight card on July 25 in Chicago.
