Jorge Masvidal questions why Nick Diaz is still fighting, brings up the IRS

UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal questioned why Nick Diaz is still fighting, bringing up the IRS as a potential reason as to why.

Diaz returned from a six-year layoff at UFC 266 in September, losing in the third round via TKO to longtime rival Robbie Lawler. For Diaz, it was a losing effort, and Masvidal is questioning why he even came back in the first place. Not only did Diaz not win the fight, but he also showed up fight week too heavy to make welterweight, forcing the fight to be moved up to middleweight. That has led to speculation among fans, fighters, and media as to why Diaz returned to the cage, and Masvidal believes it could be financially related.

Speaking to MMAFighting.com’s The MMA Hour in a recent interview, Masvidal suggested that Diaz could potentially be dealing with tax issues which is why he returned to the cage.

“I don’t know what Nick Diaz is going through. I don’t know [if he’s dealing with the] IRS. I don’t what it is, why he was fighting,” Masvidal said. “But as far as I go, I think I’ve said it before in the gym. When I go to the gym, myself, and the younger generations, and I can no longer hang with them and compete with them and do well — and not just well one day out of the week, but do well every time I step on the mat like I do right now — then I know it’s time for me to hang it up. Nobody’s going to come telling me. Thank goodness, on a financial level, I never have to fight again. If I continue to fight now or not, I’m good financially, so I don’t see myself in those predicaments where I’m going to come back to fight for money. I’ll come back to fight because I love it, it’s my DNA. “I love doing this more than anything I’ve done in this world,” continued Masvidal. “But as far as for financial situations and stuff, I won’t be back in here. I worked too hard for this, I put too much money aside a long time ago, so I don’t have to worry about that. The day that I walk away from it, it’s because I feel that I no longer can compete at that level. I’m not going to be nobody’s footstool. I’m not going to hold nobody’s jock strap either. No way.”

Do you think Jorge Masvidal is on to something when it comes to the reasons behind Nick Diaz’s return?