Not many would have had this UFC fighter combo on their bingo card.
Nate Diaz is undoubtedly one of the all-time biggest fan favorites from across UFC history, but he’s not been as unanimously popular when it comes to his fellow fighters.
The Stockton star was not without heated rivalries and clear bad blood during his stint competing on MMA’s biggest stage, and much of that often boiled over during UFC press conferences.
But while on stage in 2021, it was a different story. Instead of flying bottles and backstage scraps, Diaz made a hilarious gesture that set up the unlikeliest of friendships…
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How Nate Diaz formed an unlikely friendship with UFC 323 star Brandon Moreno
Diaz returned from a two-year layoff in 2021 to fight Leon Edwards at UFC 263. As one of the promotion’s top stars, he unsurprisingly joined the event’s champions and title challengers at the customary fight week press conference.
The 34-fight veteran found himself sat alongside Brandon Moreno. The Mexican star, who returns at UFC 323 this Saturday against Tatsuro Taira, was gearing up to challenge Deiveson Figueiredo for the flyweight title in the co-main event.
Diaz was shown offering ‘The Assassin Baby’ a puff of the joint he lit up on stage, and that interaction set up an unlikely friendship between the two that even led to Moreno signing a deal with Diaz’s Represent Ltd clothing brand.
“It’s crazy because I met him in the press conference pre-fight,” Moreno said at a UFC media lunch.
“Backstage I went with him because he sent me a package of clothes with some friend, and I went with him and said, ‘Man, thank you so much for the clothes. It’s amazing.’ And the guy started talking to me, very nice guy.
“He has this personality where you hate him or you love him, but the guy was amazing with me,” he continued. “It was funny because the media started to have some fun, because he tried to give me the weed. I don’t smoke, but I respect him. I met him there in person, and he’s an amazing guy.
“After the fights, not him in person, but some of his team invited me to the after party with him. … That’s why I respect him. Maybe he looks like a rude guy like, ‘Oh, I’m a gangster,’ but then the guy comes to me with the best attitude and talked with me very friendly.”
Diaz went on to lose against Edwards a couple of days after the UFC 263 presser, but he did come close to an almighty comeback in the fight’s dying seconds.
Moreno, meanwhile, submitted Figueiredo to become champion for the first time. He is now in pursuit of his third stint on the throne at 125 pounds.
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Brandon Moreno has the respect of another combat sports superstar
Diaz is not the only big name who Moreno has had a positive interaction with. As the first Mexican-born UFC champion, ‘The Assassin Baby’ also has the respect of the legendary Canelo Alvarez.
That was on display when the pair linked up at boxing coach Eddy Reynoso’s gym in San Diego just weeks after Moreno’s June 2021 victory over Figueiredo.
The interaction was filmed and posted on YouTube by the UFC, including the boxing great teaching his compatriot how to throw the perfect body shot.
Is there anyone better to teach UFC fighters how to throw the perfect body shot? 💥
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Later, Alvarez admitted Moreno gave him goosebumps after the multi-time world champion came across an old TikTok video of the UFC star talking about him.
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