When 2016 began, Nate Diaz was a fighter with a cult following on a modest one-fight winning streak. He had been dubbed previously by UFC president Dana White as someone who did not move the needle as far as ratings and pay-per-view buys were concerned.
Now, just 12 months later, Diaz is one of the UFC’s biggest stars, a participant in two of the highest-selling events in the sport’s history.
The narrative started when Diaz called out Conor McGregor following a win over Michael Johnson in December 2015. At the time, though, a McGregor-Diaz matchup seemed far-fetched.