Ben Askren scorches Nate Diaz and questions his UFC stardom: ‘Not that great!’

Former UFC star Ben Askren didn’t hold back on his assessment of Nate Diaz’s career when discussing some of the promotion’s all-time greats.

Ben Askren is back to some form of normalcy after a rough year in 2025.

Askren, who retired from MMA in 2020, underwent a double lung transplant in 2025 that left him hospitalized for weeks. His condition nearly killed him, as he’s detailed numerous times when asked what it was like for him before, during, and immediately after surgery.

But Askren has regained weight and basic physical functions in recent months and is back in the spotlight through his various media appearances and wrestling promotion. Askren continues to keep a close eye on the UFC welterweight division, his former stomping grounds, and the top contenders in the mix for a title shot.

Nate Diaz could potentially return to the UFC later this year as he ponders the next move in his fighting career. He’s teased fighting the likes of Ilia Topuria, Islam Makhachev, and a trilogy against Conor McGregor as potential options.

But Askren doesn’t believe Diaz should be considered an all-time great by the MMA masses.

Ben Askren questions the idea that Nate Diaz is a good fighter

In a recent episode of Funky and the Champ, Askren was asked to assess how some fighters are considered elite, and didn’t include Diaz in the discussion.

“Listen, Nate Diaz, I don’t even think he’s that good,” Askren said. “I’ll go get his record…but he’s convinced people that he’s good at fighting somehow, some way. He was average! His record is 21-13, that’s not that great.

“And going into the UFC, he was 5-1. So within the UFC, he was 16-12. That’s not very good. But his personality, how did his personality catch on? He says funny things sometimes, a little bit different. If you post this clip, please don’t post this clip, because the Diaz Army will attack me.

“He has some fans who are rabid!” Askren continued. “You say something bad about them, they’ll come at you [LAUGHS].”

As of this writing, Diaz hasn’t responded to Askren’s comments. He hasn’t fought since a boxing win over former BMF titleholder Jorge Masvidal in 2024.