Diaz dismisses Topuria as a 'punching bag' after Gaethje KO at UFC White House

Nate Diaz unloaded on Ilia Topuria at the public unveiling of Scott Coker’s new Ki MMA promotion, branding the former two-division UFC champion a “punching bag” and drawing a pointed comparison to Conor McGregor after Topuria’s lightweight title loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC White House in June.

“He’s fcking lame. He’s a punching bag. He called me a punching bag, he’s a fcking punching bag. He got his ass whooped,” Diaz said at the Ki MMA launch event.

Topuria had entered the Gaethje fight on one of the most impressive runs in recent UFC history, having claimed titles at featherweight and lightweight while scoring consecutive knockout wins over Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski — all future Hall of Famers. The defeat ended his unbeaten record and cost him the 155-pound belt, with debate now ongoing over whether an immediate rematch with Gaethje makes sense or whether the champion should face a fresh contender.

Diaz, who famously handed McGregor his first UFC loss in 2016, sees a familiar pattern in Topuria’s trajectory. “They made a big deal out of him just like they did off Conor when he started coming,” he said. “You get a little early pump-up before you’ve been in a real fight, that’s what happened to him. He got into a real fight with Justin Gaethje, and now look at you.”

The 41-year-old Stockton native is himself coming off a loss, having been beaten by Mike Perry at the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event in May — his first MMA bout in four years. Despite that setback, Diaz confirmed he intends to fight for Ki MMA and outlined an ambitious schedule for 2026.

“A hundred percent,” he said when asked about competing under the Ki MMA banner. “Especially if there’s a ring involved. I’m going to be fighting everywhere for a cool minute.”

Diaz added that he is targeting a return no earlier than January, with a goal of getting at least two fights done before the middle of next year. “I’m trying to get active,” he said. “I’m trying to whip some motherf*cking ass.”