Nick Diaz Not Coming Out Of Retirement, Says UFC Boss Dana White

Nick Diaz is staying retired.

UFC president Dana White said he offered Diaz a new fight, but the 30-year-old declined.

“I offered Nick Diaz a fight last week and his manager called me back saying he’s retired,” White said in the UFC Night Night 32 post-fight press conference in Goiania, Brazil, Saturday night.

White wouldn’t say which opponent was on the table.

In August, Dana White offered Nick Diaz a middleweight fight against Lyoto Machida, who defeated Mark Munoz by first round knockout in his 185-pound debut at UFC Fight Night 30 last month. Machida previously avoided dropping down to the middleweight division while his friend, Anderson Silva, was champion. Silva lost his title to Chris Weidman at UFC 162 in July.

Shortly after offering Diaz the match, White changed his mind and said it was a bad idea.

“The Diaz-Machida thing I was—I’m going to throw [UFC matchmaker] Joe SIlva under the bus again,” White said. “That was Joe Silva’s idea. It was a bad idea.” White said Diaz didn’t turn the fight down, but that “other things” were going on with him.

Nick Diaz last fought welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158 on March 16. GSP retained his title after a unanimous decision victory.

After the loss, Diaz said he was leaving the Octagon.

“I’m trying to retire, I’m trying to get out of this gig…. I’ve had more than 30-something fights. What am I going to do if I don’t get a rematch? I don’t want to fight any of these guys out here — they came in after me,” Diaz said. “Georges is the only one who … I’ve done everything I’ve set out to do — I’ve fought everybody who started when I did, my era, my generation.”

At the time, Dana White was more focused on setting up a match between George St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks. The two welterweights will meet in the Octagon next Saturday at UFC 167.