"It’s actually illegal" - Ariel Helwani says Nate Diaz's UFC contract forbids him to talk with other promotions at the moment

Following Nate Diaz's apparent exit from the UFC, several rumors about his future are making the rounds within the world of mixed martial arts.

Some are saying he will box Jake Paul in a money fight, while others are speculating he'll step inside the squared circle of WWE. In a recent interview with the media, Bellator CEO Scott Coker said that they have reached out to Diaz to open a dialog about a collaboration:

"We are definitely talking to him. We’ve reached out. I know he’s probably talking to everybody... We’re just hoping that we could have some type of deal to at least have his MMA fights with Bellator. So we are in dialogue."

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However, veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has reported that any news of Nate Diaz talking to other promoters or promotions is untrue. The Stockton native is currently in a three-month negotiation period with the UFC, which legally forbids him from having business-related conversations with others.

"A note on any story about a promoter/promotion talking to Nathan Diaz right now: don’t believe it. Not true. It’s actually illegal. Diaz is in an exclusive three-month negotiation period with the UFC. Meaning he can’t talk to anyone. And he hasn’t talked to anyone."

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Helwani further clarified that this clause is a standard one in every UFC deal, and only the company has the right to waive it in situations they decide to. There have been instances of the UFC waiving the clause in the past, but they haven't done so in Diaz's case.

"This is standard procedure, btw. Every UFC deal has this baked in. So, unless they wave it, which they have in the past, there’s no talking to anyone out there. And they haven’t waived it."

Read the tweet below:

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Chael Sonnen speculates Nate Diaz's big signing for Real Fight Inc.

Nate Diaz left the MMA community on a cliffhanger in his post-fight octagon interview after UFC 279, where he said he was looking to dabble in other sports and do better than his former rival Conor McGregor.

Days before that, it was reported that he had applied for a promoter's license to form a new promotion, Real Fight Inc.

The promotion is expected to feature MMA, boxing, and BJJ athletes, per the statement shared by the team.

On an episode of Beyond the Fight, Chael Sonnen speculated that Francis Ngannou could be Diaz's first big signing for his promotion.

"Somebody, somewhere is thinking about, right now, 'Who's the best guy?' and they're looking at records – Francis Ngannou is your guy. And Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz have been oddly nice to each other on social media as of late."

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Ahead of his fight with Ciryl Gane, Ngannou told Helwani on The MMA Hour that he refused to sign a new deal with the UFC because he felt pressured and not protected.