Nate Diaz celebrates after defeating Conor McGregor during UFC 196 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo : Getty Images/Rey Del Rio)
Nate Diaz is jumping on the bandwagon of staging bouts between mixed martial artists and boxers, as the veteran said he is the only MMA fighter who could give Floyd Mayweather Jr. a run for his money. Mayweather is continuously being linked to a boxing match with Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight champion Conor McGregor, but it looks like Diaz also wants a shot.
Diaz reacted to the UFC rumors about the possible match between Mayweather and McGregor. According to Bloody Elbow, the 31-year-old thinks he also deserves a shot at Mayweather because he is the only mixed martial artist capable of beating the legendary boxer, who went 49-0 before announcing his retirement in September.
"I'm the only one in MMA who beats Floyd in a boxing ring," Diaz posted on Twitter. The California native, who pulled off a huge upset against McGregor at UFC 196 in March, also posted a video where Andre Ward was seen praising Diaz's boxing skills.
Ward, who has a perfect 29-0 record and is considered as one of the top pound-for-pound boxers this year, said that he had several sparring sessions with Diaz. The 32-year-old admitted he had tough time dealing with Diaz during their previous sparring sessions.
"I mean he's really hard to spar," Ward said. "They call it the Stockton slap, and he'll slap you to death, and I don't mean that in a bad way."
Ward also added that Diaz can hold his own against world class boxers because of his toughness. The light heavyweight contender said Diaz "got hands" and has the ability to throw punches from all different angles.
Bob Arum blasts proposed Mayweather-McGregor Fight
Meanwhile, Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum blasted the proposed boxing match between Mayweather and McGregor. Arum said McGregor has no chance against Mayweather because he has no professional boxing experience.
The veteran promoter understands the match has the potential to become a blockbuster because fans are calling for it. However, Arum said that it will just only hurt boxing in the future.
"What shouldn't happen is to denigrate the sport of boxing to a point where it becomes farce," Arum told Fight Hub TV. "And a Mayweather-McGregor fight is a farce, either way."
Watch Arum's thoughts on the rumored Mayweather-McGregor boxing match below.
