Only man to KO Nate Diaz scorches UFC superstar for allegedly turning down initial Rousey vs. Carano fight offer

Before former UFC superstar Nate Diaz agreed to fight Mike Perry at Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano, a former rival was offered as an opponent.

One of the most intriguing fan-friendly fights of the year will take place on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano undercard next month in Los Angeles. Former UFC superstar Nate Diaz will make his long-awaited return to Mixed Martial Arts against fellow UFC alum, Mike Perry, in what figures to be an instant classic bout.

This will mark Diaz’s first MMA fight since parting ways with the UFC following a win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279. Despite UFC CEO Dana White attempting to lure Diaz back to the Octagon in recent weeks, Conor McGregor’s two-time rival accepted an ‘offer he couldn’t refuse’ to fight Perry.

While Perry remains Diaz’s primary focus in camp, he revealed some interesting tidbits about how the Perry fight came to fruition. In a recent sitdown on the This Past Weekend with Theo Von podcast, Diaz claimed former UFC rival Josh Thomson was offered as a potential opponent from Most Valuable Promotions.

The fight would’ve provided Diaz an ample opportunity to attempt to avenge the lone knockout loss of his legendary fighting career. But according to Thomson, not only did Diaz turn down the fight, but so too did his top protege, Chris Avila.

Josh Thomson to Nate Diaz: ‘You ain’t gangsters!’ after turning down fights

In a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, Thomson responded to Diaz’s recent dismissals and accused the UFC superstar of turning down a fight at Rousey vs. Carano.

“I guess the concern from you Nate was that you wanted me to fight somebody else because I had been inactive for a while,” Thomson said of Diaz. “I was like, ‘Alright, cool. I’ll take it. Who do you have in mind?’

“Now you’re turning down a fight with me and saying you want an easier fight than me? Then they went and signed whoever to fight Chris Avila,” Thomson continued. “All that west coast gangster s— and you guys are over here saying no, you don’t want to fight a 47-year-old who hasn’t fought in seven years. I was laughing. You ain’t gangsters!” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

Thomson knocked out Diaz by head kick in April 2013, just before Diaz went on his legendary run, which included wins over Rafael dos Anjos and McGregor. The now-47-year-old Thomson retired from MMA after a knockout loss to Patricky Pitbull at Bellator 172.

What is your prediction for Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry? Let us know in the comments!