Nate Diaz Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Nate Diaz’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $8 million, Nate Diaz is a professional mixed martial artist currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Before winning the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” he had competed in World Extreme Cagefighting, Pancrase, and Strikeforce. His time in the UFC spanned 15 years during which he earned 16 UFC bonus awards.

Among Diaz’s significant achievements is his victory over Conor McGregor in March 2016, where he secured a win through submission in the second round. This triumph propelled Diaz to fame and established him as one of the UFC’s most skilled and relentless fighters. Although he faced McGregor again later that year and narrowly lost, the rematch showcased his fierce determination and resilience.

Throughout his career, Diaz has challenged other prominent fighters, including Benson Henderson, Gray Maynard, and Rafael dos Anjos. He is celebrated for his striking prowess, expertise in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and his fearless fighting style. Notably, he has received numerous Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night accolades for his remarkable performances in the octagon.

Diaz is the younger sibling of Nick Diaz, a former welterweight champion and current UFC competitor.

Conor McGregor Fight Earnings

Reports indicate that Nate received a $2 million fee just for participating in the fight against Conor McGregor. Additionally, he earned $250,000 from a Reebok sponsorship, $50,000 for the fight of the night bonus, and $150,000 for attending an after-party. The most significant portion of his earnings came from a share of the Pay-Per-View (PPV) revenue, amounting to $10.5 million. When combined, Nate’s total earnings for that event totaled $13 million, while Conor brought in $15 million.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born in 1985 in Stockton, California, Nate Diaz hails from a Mexican-American family. He has an older brother, Nick, with whom he began his martial arts training at the young age of 11. During his teenage years, Diaz attended Tokay High School in Lodi, California.

He launched his professional fighting career, mainly competing for World Extreme Cagefighting. In his debut match in 2004, he achieved victory against Alejandro Garcia, but two years later, he faced Hermes França for the WEC Lightweight Championship, resulting in a loss in the second round. Besides WEC, Diaz also had bouts in Pancrase and Strikeforce.

“The Ultimate Fighter 5”

In 2007, Diaz debuted in the Ultimate Fighting Championship during the fifth season of the reality television show “The Ultimate Fighter.” This season was solely dedicated to lightweights, with Diaz representing Jens Pulver’s team. In the preliminary rounds, he triumphed over Rob Emerson, and in the quarterfinals, he defeated Gray Maynard. He went on to contend with Manvel Gamburyan in the finals, winning through submission after Gamburyan had to tap out due to an injury.

Start of UFC Career

Following his success on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Diaz experienced early achievements in the UFC, overcoming opponents like Alvin Robinson and Junior Assunção. However, seeking tougher competition, he faced Kurt Pellegrino at UFC Fight Night 13, where he secured a victory via triangle-choke submission. He then bested Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 15. In 2009, Diaz faced his first loss in the UFC against Clay Guida at UFC 94, but he rebounded successfully in the headline fight at UFC Fight Night 19, defeating Melvin Guillard via submission with a guillotine choke.

In 2010, after facing three losses in four fights, Diaz made the decision to move up in weight class. He then proceeded to make…

Nate Diaz made his welterweight debut at UFC 111 facing Rory Markham; however, after the weigh-ins, the bout was adjusted to a catchweight contest. Diaz ultimately claimed victory by TKO in the first round. Following this, he opted to compete in both weight classes. In a welterweight bout at UFC 118, he emerged victorious against Marcus Davis by rendering him unconscious through a guillotine choke submission.

Further UFC Career

During the early part of 2011, Diaz faced defeats at the hands of Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. However, later that same year, he rebounded by defeating former PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi at UFC 135. His performance at UFC 141 against Donald Cerrone stood out as one of his best, contributing to yet another victory. Another remarkable match occurred at UFC on Fox 3, where Diaz triumphed over Jim Miller using a rolling guillotine choke. In May 2014, due to inactivity as deemed by the organization, Diaz was removed from the UFC’s lightweight rankings.

Diaz returned to the octagon in December 2014, facing Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 13. Unfortunately, he missed weight for this fight and was fined 20% of his purse, which was awarded to Anjos. Following this bout, Diaz took another year off, making a comeback in December 2015 against Michael Johnson, in which he secured a unanimous decision victory. The subsequent year, he faced Conor McGregor at UFC 196, winning by submission, marking his ninth submission victory in the UFC—tying him for the second-most in history.

Controversies

Nate Diaz has been at the center of controversy throughout his UFC career due to his impulsive and provocative behavior at times. In 2013, he faced a 90-day suspension from the UFC along with a $20,000 fine for using a homophobic slur on Twitter.

In 2015, he captured attention for a vulgar post-fight interview aired live, during which he called out fighter Conor McGregor.

At a post-fight press conference in 2016, Diaz contravened USADA regulations by using a CBD vape pen within four hours after his fight. Nonetheless, CBD not being considered a performance-enhancing substance meant that he was not penalized. USADA later removed the substance from its banned list.

In April 2023, a video surfaced showing Nate choking a man unconscious in the streets of New Orleans.

Honors and Distinctions

Throughout his professional career, Diaz has earned multiple Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night bonuses. He has also been recognized for Knockout of the Night and Performance of the Night. Notably, in 2016, Diaz garnered the World MMA Award for Submission of the Year for his bout against Conor McGregor.

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

Personal Life

In 2012, Diaz achieved his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from the Cesar Gracie training facility in Pleasant Hill, California. Together with his brother, he runs a Brazilian jiu-jitsu school known as Nick Diaz Academy located in Stockton, California. The brothers have also established a CBD business called Game Up Nutrition and collaborated with California Finest for a licensed line of marijuana pre-rolls.

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