Back in December, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev found himself caught up in an unexpected backstage incident with Nate Diaz at the UFC 311 press conference. The altercation, which involved the two exchanging water bottles, quickly grabbed headlines, but Makhachev is still unsure what sparked the tension.
According to Makhachev, the situation began when Diaz made a gesture towards his team. Though Makhachev has never fought Diaz, he suspects the tension could be linked to Diaz’s previous issues with Makhachev’s coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Despite this, Makhachev doesn’t understand why Diaz decided to act out that day.
Nate Diaz and Islam Makhachev’s team throwing water bottles at each other backstage 😅pic.twitter.com/0Sd6rfgMiS
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) December 7, 2024
Islam Makhachev Reveals His Version of the Nate Diaz Water Bottle Incident
The water bottle exchange was brief, and security quickly intervened to separate both camps. The incident ended before anything too serious could unfold. Reflecting on what happened, Makhachev suggests that Diaz may have been putting on a bit of a show.
“Next day they put me close to the cage,” Makhachev told Demetrious Johnson. “I sat with Dana and Dana came to me and said, ‘You are a troublemaker.’ I said, ‘Dana, it’s not my fault!’
“We sat, before fight day, I had a press conference, fighters had official weigh-ins. We sat and Diaz started to show [gestures his middle finger] for what? Maybe for someone, it’s good, no problem, but that’s not our style.
“You know what’s interesting, maybe five, six months ago, I meet Diaz in the elevator in the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas,” Makhachev continued. “He goes to me and says, ‘Respect, respect, respect.’ But what changed now? A lot of cameras come and always people change.
“We don’t have something. If I have something with him, I can fix it in the Wynn Hotel. But he came to me and said ‘Respect’ and then he go. But when camera comes, he’s changing. And people think I started this.
After the dust settled, security told Makhachev’s team that they needed to leave the venue early, but Makhachev wasn’t having it. He insisted that his team would stay together until all interviews were done. In the end, they left as a group, and the incident was quickly put behind them.”
Makhachev is now gearing up for his upcoming fight against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on January 18, where he will defend his lightweight title. Fans are eagerly awaiting the main event, which will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
