Islam Makhachev suggests Khabib Nurmagomedov inadvertently played role in Nate Diaz water bottle fight
01/07/2025 03:23 PM
Islam Makhachev believes his viral backstage altercation with Nate Diaz in Las Vegas might’ve been a case of mistaken identity.
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Nate Diaz don’t have an extensive history of beef between them, and their recent backstage dust-up might’ve been inadvertently due to Diaz’s years-long feud with his mentor.
Makhachev will face Arman Tsarukyan in the UFC 311 main event later this month in Los Angeles. He returns to the Octagon for his latest title defense after a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 last year.
Ahead of UFC 311, Makhachev, Tsarukyan, and the co-main event fighters were in Las Vegas for a pre-fight press conference to promote the upcoming event. While departing the venue after the presser, Makhachev and his team ran into Diaz, who started throwing water bottles with members of Makhachev’s circle.
Diaz has since been defended by a UFC flyweight star who claimed he didn’t instigate the incident. While details surrounding the altercation are still murky, Makhachev believes it was all kicked off by a misunderstanding.
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Islam Makhachev gives his side to recent Nate Diaz altercation
During a recent appearance on the MightyCast featuring Demetrious Johnson, Makhachev reacted to the viral backstage altercation with Diaz.
“I sat with Dana and he said ‘You were a troublemaker!’, but I told Dana it wasn’t my fault,” Makhachev said. “Diaz started to show us [the middle finger], but for what? Maybe for someone it’s good, it’s no problem, but it’s not our style. One of our guys wore a mask, but he was sick a little bit, and maybe Diaz thought it was Khabib…
“Khabib wasn’t in Las Vegas, it was just some other guy from another country…maybe 5 to 6 months ago, I met Diaz in an elevator. He said ‘Respect, respect!’. But what changed now? Cameras come?”
Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev’s longtime teammate and current coach, have a checkered past. Diaz slapped Nurmagomedov at an event in 2015 and has repeatedly labeled the UFC Hall of Famer as ‘not a real fighter’.
Despite being in the same division for many years, Nurmagomedov and Diaz never clashed inside the Octagon. Nurmagomedov retired from fighting in 2020 after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
Diaz parted ways with the UFC following a win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279. He’s since competed in two professional boxing matches against Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal and is targeting a potential return to the UFC Octagon.
Islam Makhachev confused by Nate Diaz’s actions after UFC 311 press conference
Makhachev and Diaz will likely never cross paths inside the Octagon, but outside of it, things remain rocky. Diaz has repeatedly taken shots at members of Team Khabib over the years after temporarily easing up on his feud with Nurmagomedov.
As of this writing, Diaz hasn’t responded to Makhachev’s allegations and theories. A return timeline in either boxing or MMA is uncertain as he plots his next move.
Nurmagomedov will be in Makhachev’s corner for his upcoming title defense at UFC 311. If Diaz obliges, he could get his opportunity to confront Nurmagomedov head-on after a potential accidental run-in backstage.
