5 possible opponents for Nate Diaz if he moves to Bellator MMA

This month saw the UFC career of Nate Diaz likely come to an end as he entered free agency following his win over Tony Ferguson.

Nate Diaz’s next destination remains unknown right now, but current reports suggest he may be heading to Bellator MMA – so if he arrives there, who could he fight?

Bellator’s roster is naturally much thinner than the UFC’s, but thankfully, there are a number of viable opponents for Diaz in the promotion.

Here are five potential opponents for Nate Diaz if he joins Bellator MMA.

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#5. Nate Diaz vs. Yaroslav Amosov

A win over Nate Diaz could make Yaroslav Amosov into a major star

While Nate Diaz ended up leaving the UFC on the back of a win over Tony Ferguson, that certainly wasn’t the promotion’s intention for him. Had things gone to plan, Diaz would’ve faced off with hot prospect Khamzat Chimaev in his final octagon bout, and probably would’ve suffered a bad loss.

If he signs with Bellator MMA, it seems likely that Scott Coker will treat Diaz differently, but it’d probably still be tempting for him to match him with current welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov.

‘Dynamite’ is clearly one of the best welterweights right now. He owns a 26-0 record and holds wins over the likes of Douglas Lima, Logan Storley and Erick Silva. However, the native of Ukraine still doesn’t have a big name with the casual fans.

If he could beat Diaz, though – and to be frank, it’s likely he would given his powerful grappling and the fact that he’s nearly a decade younger than the former UFC star – then it could well push him over the edge towards stardom.

Whether Diaz would accept a fight with Amosov is another thing entirely, but ‘Dynamite’ would certainly be a viable potential foe for him.

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#4. Nate Diaz vs. Patricky Pitbull

Patricky Pitbull would make a fine opponent for Nate Diaz

While Nate Diaz has largely competed as a welterweight over the past few years, and hasn’t actually fought at 155lbs since 2015, the top fighters in Bellator’s lightweight division would still probably look at him as a viable opponent.

One fighter who would definitely love a crack at Diaz would be the current Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull. One of Brazil’s famed Pitbull brothers – his younger brother Patricio holds the promotion’s featherweight title – he’s held the lightweight title since November 2021, when he stopped Peter Queally.

A violent striker, Pitbull holds victories over plenty of notable fighters, including Benson Henderson, Michael Chandler and Tatsuya Kawajiri. However, he’s never quite pulled off a truly career-defining win.

A fight with Diaz would definitely allow him that opportunity, but more interestingly, it’d actually be a winnable fight for the Stockton-based fighter.

Sure, Diaz is past his prime, but he’s also got an iron chin, top-class ground skills, and he’s actually only a year older than the Brazilian. It’s not likely that he’d drop to 155lbs to challenge for Pitbull’s title, but a superfight of sorts would definitely be a possibility.

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#3. Nate Diaz vs. Douglas Lima

Douglas Lima might be past his prime now, but he's still a dangerous foe for anyone

If Nate Diaz wants to step in with one of Bellator MMA’s biggest names right away, then he could do much worse than to face off against former welterweight champion Douglas Lima.

‘The Phenom’ has been renowned as one of the best 170lbers outside the UFC for the best part of a decade now. He holds wins over the likes of Rory MacDonald, Michael Page and Paul Daley.

However, recently he’s hit somewhat of a skid, as he hasn’t won since his victory over MacDonald in October 2019 and has lost his last four bouts. Essentially, he could well be seen as Bellator’s version of Tony Ferguson.

On paper, Lima is perhaps a bad match for Diaz, purely because the Stockton-based fighter has never been the best at defending leg kicks. ‘The Phenom’ possesses some of the best low kicks in the game.

However, he’s also 34 years old and may be past his prime, making him a beatable foe for Diaz too. Both men would fancy their chances in this bout and Bellator could easily headline a big show with it, making it a clear possibility should Diaz move to the promotion.

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#2. Nate Diaz vs. Benson Henderson

Nate Diaz would probably love a chance to avenge his 2012 loss to Benson Henderson

While he hasn’t fought at 170lbs since his 2020 defeat to Jason Jackson, it’s highly likely that one fighter who’d love to face Nate Diaz inside Bellator’s cage is Benson Henderson.

The former UFC lightweight champion famously defeated Diaz in a title bout back in 2012. While he’s clearly past his prime at this point, having gone 1-3 in his last four fights, stylistically, he’d probably fancy his chances of doing the same again.

A win over Diaz would undoubtedly reignite the career of ‘Smooth’, who has recently stated that he plans to retire after his final four fights – the first of which will come against Peter Queally this weekend – but wants to win the Bellator title before he does.

If Henderson falls to Queally, though, any hopes of a title shot would be up in smoke. Therefore, fighting Diaz would make far more sense.

On Diaz’s behalf, a chance at avenging one of the most one-sided losses of his career would probably appeal hugely as well, making this clash of veterans a definite possibility should the Stockton-based fighter head to Bellator.

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#1. Nate Diaz vs. Michael Page

Michael 'Venom' Page is one of Bellator MMA's biggest stars

While he’s never won a title in the Bellator cage, it’s probably fair to say that the promotion’s biggest star at 170lbs is British kickboxer Michael ‘Venom’ Page.

Page doesn’t have too many big-name wins on his ledger, but his record of 20-2 is highly impressive. His highlight reel, which features numerous wild knockouts, has made him massively popular with casual fans.

So it might make plenty of sense to match him with Nate Diaz should the former UFC star join the promotion.

Like Diaz, ‘Venom’ is getting no younger at the age of 35. While it’s unlikely that he’ll make a title run any time soon, he’s definitely still viable for some major fights, particularly against other big name stars.

More to the point, his flashy striking style would probably make for a fascinating clash with Diaz, who would look to use a more straightforward boxing attack or perhaps take the fight to the ground.

Essentially, a bout between ‘Venom’ and Diaz could be Bellator’s version of Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz, which drew a massive pay-per-view buyrate for the UFC back in 2015. Therefore, if Diaz joins Bellator, Scott Coker should definitely consider making this fight.