By Leociano Calao
Updated June 7, 2024 00:01, June 7, 2024 00:11
During a press conference promoting their upcoming boxing match on July 6, a brawl broke out between the camps of Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal.
A press tour for former UFC stars in Anaheim, California, on Thursday descended into chaos after Diaz left the event early.
Footage of the incident shows Masvidal engaging in an offstage confrontation with Diaz's team, after which Diaz's teammate, a Stockton native, begins punching the Gamebred fighter. Security quickly intervened, blocking Masvidal from his target.
However, a gentleman wearing a wine-red shirt, presumably from the same camp, lunged forward and landed directly on the fist of Diaz's teammate.
The situation escalated as the two men collapsed onto chairs, swaying and grabbing each other, and Masvidal escaped security's grasp and joined the melee, only to be pulled from the dog pile again.
Click here to resize this module
The brawlers rose to their feet and the fighting began.
After a fierce exchange of blows with the man in the burgundy uniform aggressively pursuing his opponent, Masvidal pointed to someone in the crowd and said, “That's my coach.”
The Miami native posed for photos with fans while making the “305” gesture with his fingers.
“I'm done with this press conference,” Diaz said as he was exiting before the brawl. “I'm happy to be here promoting this great fight that's going on right now. It's super cool. But other than that, I think my job here is done.”
“I'm done with this bullshit. I'm not doing any press conferences until my next fight,” Diaz said, before verbally criticizing Masvidal: “Fuck this ugly motherfucker. I'm done with this. I'll see you guys. Bye.”
Diaz took center stage but refused to engage in a face-to-face confrontation with his rival, and when Masvidal tried to chase him, Diaz's team intervened and a brawl ensued.
The two faced off in the first UFC BMF title fight at Madison Square Garden in 2019, with Masvidal winning by doctor's stoppage.
Diaz lost his next bout to future welterweight champion Leon Edwards before beating Tony Ferguson when his UFC contract expired in 2022. Meanwhile, Masvidal, who had a meteoric rise in 2019, lost his final four fights before withdrawing from UFC last year.
They will face off again, but this time in a boxing ring at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.
