Nate Diaz rips 'punching bag' Ilia Topuria for getting 'ass whooped' by Justin Gaethje

Nate Diaz expressed his disdain for Ilia Topuria after the latter's devastating loss to Justin Gaethje in June. During an interview at the Ki MMA launch event, Diaz criticized Topuria for calling him a punching bag, noting that Topuria was essentially a punching bag himself. Diaz emphasized that Topuria's performance in the fight against Gaethje was merely a reflection of his prior lack of ability to handle real fights.

Diaz also highlighted that the UFC had made a big deal out of Topuria's rise, similar to how they had hyped Conor McGregor before his debut. Diaz further speculated that Topuria's potential rematch with Gaethje was merely a result of internal discussions within the UFC, and Dana White's willingness to see both a Gaethje rematch and a fight against Paddy Pimblett as viable options for Topuria's return.