Nate Diaz Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Nate Diaz’s Net Worth

A professional mixed martial artist affiliated with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Nate Diaz boasts a net worth of $8 million. Prior to winning the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Diaz competed in organizations like World Extreme Cagefighting, Pancrase, and Strikeforce. His fifteen years in the UFC were highlighted by 16 UFC bonus awards.

One of Diaz’s significant achievements came in March 2016 when he submitted Conor McGregor in the second round, propelling him into mainstream recognition and establishing him as one of the UFC’s most skilled and tenacious fighters. Although Diaz lost in a rematch against McGregor later that same year, his performance underscored his determination and resilience.

Throughout his career, Diaz faced top-tier fighters such as Benson Henderson, Gray Maynard, and Rafael dos Anjos. Known for his striking finesse, expertise in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and his courageous fighting style, Diaz received multiple Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night accolades for his notable displays in the octagon.

Additionally, Diaz is the younger sibling of Nick Diaz, a former welterweight champion and an active UFC fighter.

Earnings from Conor McGregor Fight

Reports indicate that Nate was paid $2 million just for appearing at the Conor McGregor fight. He also received $250,000 from a Reebok sponsorship, $50,000 for the fight of the night bonus, and $150,000 for attending an after-party. Most significantly, he had a share in the PPV revenue, amounting to $10.5 million. When all earnings were tallied, Nate made $13 million from that evening, while Conor earned $15 million.

Early Life and Career Initiation

Nate Diaz was born in 1985 in Stockton, California, to a Mexican-American family. He has an older brother named Nick, and they both began training in martial arts together at age 11. During his teenage years, Diaz attended Tokay High School in Lodi, California.

Diaz kicked off his professional fighting career primarily in World Extreme Cagefighting. He secured a victory against Alejandro Garcia in his debut fight in 2004. However, two years later, while contesting for the WEC Lightweight Championship, he faced defeat in the second round against Hermes França. In addition to WEC, Diaz also fought in Pancrase and Strikeforce.

“The Ultimate Fighter 5”

In 2007, Diaz debuted in the Ultimate Fighting Championship during the fifth season of the reality series “The Ultimate Fighter.” This season focused on lightweights, with Diaz representing Jens Pulver’s team. During the preliminary rounds, he defeated Rob Emerson and later took out Gray Maynard in the quarterfinals. He ultimately faced Manvel Gamburyan in the finals, winning via submission when Gamburyan had to tap out due to an injury.

Beginning His UFC Career

Post his success in “The Ultimate Fighter,” Diaz found early victories in the UFC against fighters like Alvin Robinson and Junior Assunção. However, seeking tougher opponents, he faced Kurt Pellegrino at UFC Fight Night 13, winning by triangle-choke submission. He followed this with a victory over Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 15. Sadly, in 2009, Diaz suffered his first UFC loss to Clay Guida at UFC 94. Yet, he marked his resurgence by headlining UFC Fight Night 19, where he won against Melvin Guillard via guillotine choke submission.

In 2010, after experiencing three losses in four matches, Diaz opted to move up a weight class. He proceeded to make…

Nate Diaz made his welterweight debut at UFC 111 against Rory Markham; however, after the weigh-ins, the bout was converted to a catchweight match. Diaz clinched victory by TKO in the first round. He then opted to compete in both weight classes. During a welterweight fight at UFC 118, he triumphed over Marcus Davis by choking him unconscious with a guillotine choke submission.

Further UFC Career

In early 2011, Diaz faced defeats against Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. Later that year, he bounced back by overcoming PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi at UFC 135. He achieved another win at UFC 141 against Donald Cerrone, showcasing one of the finest performances of his career. An impressive victory followed at UFC on Fox 3, where Diaz defeated Jim Miller via a rolling guillotine choke. By May 2014, however, Diaz was removed from the UFC’s lightweight rankings due to inactivity as deemed by the organization.

After a hiatus, Diaz returned to the octagon in December 2014, fighting Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 13. He faced a setback, missing weight and consequently being fined 20% of his purse, which was awarded to Anjos. Following another year away, Diaz returned in December 2015 to combat Michael Johnson, winning by unanimous decision. The next year, he fought Conor McGregor at UFC 196, claiming victory by submission, which marked his ninth submission win in the UFC, placing him tied for second-most in history.

Controversies

Nate Diaz’s UFC career has not been without controversy, often linked to his impulsive and provocative behavior. In 2013, he received a 90-day suspension from the UFC and a $20,000 fine due to a homophobic slur he posted on Twitter.

In 2015, he drew attention for a vulgar post-fight interview conducted on live television, where he called out Conor McGregor.

During a post-fight press conference in 2016, Diaz was found in violation of USADA regulations after using a CBD vape pen within four hours post-fight. However, since CBD is not classified as a performance-enhancing substance, he faced no penalties, and USADA later removed CBD from its banned list.

In April 2023, footage surfaced of Nate choking an individual unconscious in the streets of New Orleans.

Honors and Distinctions

Throughout his professional career, Diaz has earned a variety of accolades, including several Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night bonuses. He has also received recognition for Knockout of the Night and Performance of the Night. Notably, in 2016, Diaz was awarded the World MMA Award for Submission of the Year following his fight against Conor McGregor.

Diaz shares the record with Jim Miller for the most submission victories in the UFC Lightweight division, with seven. Additionally, he is tied with Frankie Edgar for the most Fight of the Night bonuses at eight.

Personal Life

In 2012, Diaz earned his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from the Cesar Gracie training facility located in Pleasant Hill, California. Together with his brother, Diaz co-manages a Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Stockton, California, named Nick Diaz Academy. The Diaz brothers also founded Game Up Nutrition, a CBD company, and partnered with California Finest to launch a licensed line of marijuana pre-rolls.

Diaz has a daughter named Nikayla with his girlfriend, Misty Brown.