UFC Legends Nate Diaz and Daniel Cormier's Heated Feud Explained

Nate Diaz Rant

Watch Nate Diaz’s appearance on the Theo Von podcast here (warning: viewer discretion advised).

Diaz didn’t hold back and posed a rhetorical question directed at “DC” during the podcast, saying, “Are you mad because you were the champion, and when I was nowhere near champion, I got paid way more money than you?” 

He also mocked Cormier’s tears following his loss to Jon Jones, adding, “That’s a f— bitter little b—. He’s analyzing fights. You’re a great wrestler, DC, but you can’t fight for s---. You’re a f------ big old p—y. Remember when he cried?”

The Stockton native also dismissed Cormier’s in-cage accomplishments, claiming he had never watched a single one of his fights. He referenced being on the same card as Cormier at UFC 241, recalling how Stipe Miocic knocked out “DC” in their heavyweight championship bout. 

“I look back at the screen, and he just knocked out on his a—. That’s the only DC fight I ever saw,” Diaz said. 

"DC" Responds

Daniel Cormier responded swiftly and viciously on his YouTube channel, refusing to let the insults slide:

Cormier dissected their respective resumes, highlighting a statistical gap he believes defines their legacies. 

He listed Diaz’s 13 losses, naming opponents from Koji Oishi to Leon Edwards, before holding up two fingers to represent his own defeats to Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.

Cormier emphasized the timeline of Diaz’s defeats, arguing that losing to 13 different fighters is unacceptable, especially when many occurred during Diaz’s athletic prime in his 20s. 

“The reality is you’re average. You’ve always been. But you made a lot of money. That’s good! But you’re average,” Cormier stated bluntly. 

The former two-division champion also turned Diaz’s mockery of his emotional nature back on the Stockton fighter. 

“Nate, maybe you should have cried more, and then maybe we would think you care about winning and losing,” Cormier said. 

He contrasted his own reaction to defeat with Diaz’s habit of attending afterparties immediately after losses.

Regarding the financial insults, Cormier dismissed the money talk as immature between two wealthy individuals. 

He acknowledged that Diaz made his fortune fighting Conor McGregor, just as he made his biggest paydays fighting Jon Jones. Cormier assured that while Diaz is reportedly making $10 million for his upcoming fight, he is content with his own earnings .

He added, “You can talk all you want now, but you can't change the fact that you can't go back in time. We can't go back in time and make you better than you were. So you keep punching above your head.”

Nate Diaz Returns

The backdrop of this feud is Diaz’s upcoming return to MMA on May 16, 2026, where he faces Mike Perry on a Netflix card headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano. 

“DC” had previously commented on the fight, noting that while he is excited for the matchup, neither Diaz nor Perry represents the “level of fighter” currently competing for titles in the UFC (via Daniel Cormier on YouTube):

Despite the harsh words, DC maintains that he holds no genuine hatred for Diaz. He simply refuses to stay silent when his professional expertise is attacked.

“I will tell him you’re average. Because that’s exactly what you were,” Cormier concluded, vowing to repeat the sentiment face-to-face if necessary.