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 a veteran in the sport of mixed martial arts and is well known for his striking capabilities. Because of this, it may come as no surprise that his boxing license has practically already been approved. In fact, the director of the Nevada State Athletic Comission has already welcomed him to fight as a boxer in Las Vegas.
Now that his boxing license is virtually approved, Diaz is looking to make a quick start in the world of professional boxing. Those who have watched Diaz's fights would expect him to do well in his new career path.
Diaz' has the qualities to make it in boxing. His ability to dish out powerful blows is also matched by his ability to take them. These attributes have led him to a notable win over two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor.
Diaz has already paid off his $50,000 fine for a bottle-tossing incident during a press conference for his second fight with McGregor, ESPN reported. This means that he only has to iron out a couple more details and he is now officially a professional boxer.
It is unlikely that McGregor will accept a boxing match with Diaz due to the fact that he makes a reported $10 million every time he steps into the Octagon to do battle, Yahoo Sports reported. However, the same cannot be said for Diaz who is unhappy that he has not fought since August 2016. He is said to potentially make several times more money as a boxer than as an MMA fighter in the UFC.
It is also worth noting though, that McGregor himself has already applied for a boxing license. This has led fans to speculate that there is a chance of the next encounter between McGregor and Diaz will be in a boxing ring instead of an Octagon.
The reasons as to why both fighters applied for their respective boxing licenses is still unclear. However, the passing of the Muhammad Ali act could have played a big role in this, as it will protect them from going against some of the UFC's rather harsh contractual restrictions.
Granted that their fights garner millions in pay-per-view sales, Diaz and McGregor may feel like they are already big enough fighters and no longer need the UFC to promote their fights. Whatever the reason, fans should expect to see both of these fighters in the boxing ring in the near future.
Watch the highlights of Diaz and McGregor's first UFC encounter in the video below:
