Nate Diaz, known for speaking his mind, weighed in on the ongoing debate about who deserves the title of UFC’s greatest of all time. While Islam Makhachev recently climbed to the top of the UFC pound-for-pound rankings and captured multiple belts, Diaz remains unconvinced.
GOAT Talk Sparks Controversy
During a recent Kick stream with N3ON, Diaz was asked who he considers the MMA GOAT. He responded without hesitation:
“Jon Jones, for sure,” Diaz said.
Turning to Makhachev, Diaz expressed skepticism:
“They just throw s— out like that,” he said. “He’s been here for like two minutes, and he ain’t beat nobody that crazy. The best lightweight ever was B.J. Penn. So when we get s— like that, and you got whatever Islam did, and it’s like that don’t even match.”
Diaz added that Makhachev still has a long way to go before earning any such recognition.
Why Diaz Sees Makhachev as Overrated
According to Diaz, the hype surrounding Makhachev is premature:
“It’s not that he can’t be or won’t be, but you’re just gonna throw GOAT at the motherf—er when he just showed up on the scene?”
He emphasized that, from his perspective, the performances he has seen don’t compare to those of past legends:
“They think I’m f—ing hating but that’s because we’ve got our differences,” Diaz continued. “There is s— I’ve seen that I’ll remember forever. That’s GOAT s—. I ain’t seen nothing from them mother—ers. I can’t even remember anything but getting bored in all them fools last fights. That name shouldn’t even be thrown at those guys.”
Nate Diaz accepts N3on’s apology after N3on disrespected him a year ago at a UFC press conference which led to Diaz’s team chasing N3on down..👀🥊
“I was trying to clip farm. I was trying to do anything for views” pic.twitter.com/5tCLL6RTct
— KC 👑 (@KingClps) November 24, 2025
Comparing Makhachev to Past Legends
Diaz made it clear that he places past fighters, particularly B.J. Penn, above Makhachev in terms of overall impact:
“The best lightweight ever was B.J. Penn,” Diaz reiterated.
He also weighed in on fellow lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, claiming Topuria shows more rounded skills:
“I haven’t seen him do too much yet but I think [Topuria] is more of a complete fighter than [Islam],” Diaz said.
Nate Diaz doesn’t think Islam Makhachev deserves #1 P4P in the UFC 👀
“He ain’t beat nobody that crazy. I ain’t seen nothing from them motherf*ckers. I can’t even remember anything but getting bored in all them fools last fights. That name shouldn’t even be thrown out there.” pic.twitter.com/IVlXPL4m9V
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) November 24, 2025
While Diaz doesn’t dismiss Makhachev entirely, he insists that the current generation hasn’t earned the GOAT label yet. For him, technical skill, memorable performances, and dominance across multiple fights define a true GOAT.
Fans React to Nate Diaz’s Comments
A clip of Diaz’s remarks went viral on social media, sparking debate among fans. Many criticized Diaz for downplaying Makhachev’s accomplishments, noting his impressive win streak and championship victories. Others sided with Diaz, agreeing that the GOAT discussion is often rushed in modern MMA hype cycles.
