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Diaz: UFC hasn't offered a fight and I want $20M 'just to take the call'

Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY

Contrary to reports he's suddenly joined the UFC's disorderly lightweight title picture, Nate Diaz says he's being kept in the dark.

After rumors of an interim 155-pound title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov surfaced Wednesday, Diaz revealed that not only has his next foe not been posited, he won't answer the UFC's call for anything less than a life-changing payday.

"I'm only fighting at lightweight for a big fight or 20 million (dollars) just to take the call," Diaz told MMAFighting's Ariel Helwani via text message. "Until then, I'm just living my life."

Diaz's name was falsely added to the fray after featherweight king Jose Aldo told Helwani an injury to interim champ Max Holloway had scrapped a would-be title unification date for UFC 209. Aldo was subsequently offered an interim lightweight title fight against Nurmagomedov - as reigning champ Conor McGregor is on indefinite leave. The newly offered matchup came when Tony Ferguson brought negotiations on a meeting with the Russian to a standstill, but Nurmagomedov still hopes he and "El Cucuy" will finally tangle, much to Aldo's purported chagrin. The chaos has yet to be resolved, reports Helwani.

The 31-year-old Diaz also changed his tune concerning a potential trilogy bout with rival McGregor. It now appears Diaz is satisfied with the submission he scored over the Irishman at UFC 196 in March, no matter how large a sum the promotion offers him to settle the rivalry for good.

"I already beat him, and they aren't paying enough to fight him again."

Diaz was paid a career-best $2 million for his August rematch with McGregor, which "The Notorious" took by majority decision.

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