After three action-packed rounds, Nate Diaz's teammate Yancy Medeiros defeated Emmanuel Sanchez via unanimous decision at Bellator 279. The Hawaii native fired up his teammate Nate Diaz and the rest of the Honolulu crowd with his victory.
In a video posted on social media, we can see the moment of the official decision announcement from cage side. Both fighters held their hands in the air as each believed that he was victorious. After the announcement, the camera zooms in on Nate Diaz, sitting across the opposite end of the cage.
The Stockton native can be seen reacting animatedly to the news, hilariously pretending to punch and knee a friend in the stands. The video caption read:
"Yancy Medeiros fired up the Honolulu crowd - including @NateDiaz209 - with his #Bellator279 win."
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Watch the clip below:
This fight served as a promotional debut and a homecoming for Medeiros, whose last fight in Hawaii took place back in 2009. Thanks to this victory, ‘The Kid’ ended a four-fight losing streak that led to his UFC release.
Nate Diaz is a fan favorite who has been seen in action sparingly over the last few years. After a lengthy layoff, Diaz made his UFC return by taking on Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 and won via unanimous decision. He then took on Jorge Masvidal with a specially created BMF title on the line at UFC 244. ‘Gamebred’ won via TKO in the third round owing to a doctor's stoppage.
The Stockton native's last match was against Leon Edwards at UFC 263, which he lost via unanimous decision despite almost walking away with the win owing to a last-minute comeback.
With one fight remaining on his current contract, Diaz has been angling for a fight against Dustin Poirier. However, the UFC has not booked the bout despite both fighters calling for it repeatedly. This has led Diaz to frustration, calling for his release from Dana White's promotion.
A.J.McKee wanted to fight Nate Diaz
Former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee wanted Nate Diaz to join Bellator MMA, claiming he would "love" to fight the Stockton native.
Ahead of his first title defense, then-champion A.J. McKee spoke with MMA Island about his upcoming rematch with Patricio Freire at Bellator 277. During the conversation, McKee was asked about his thoughts on taking on Diaz should the UFC athlete sign for Bellator. In response, 'Mercenary' stated that he would be delighted to step into the cage to fight the Stockton native:
"Bring that a** here boy! [laughs] Um, I would love to fight Nate. I feel like that would be my first fight into like stardom, you know what I mean? That'd be a first superstar fight."
Watch AJ McKee's full conversation with MMA Island below: