Nate Diaz Trolls Ilia Topuria by Calling Him a “Punching Bag” After UFC Freedom 250 Beating
· Yahoo Sports
After the beating Ilia Topuria endured at the hands of Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, it’s fair to wonder if “El Matador” will ever be quite the same again. For those unfamiliar, the Spaniard suffered two broken orbital bones, a shattered septum, and a broken foot as he lost his undisputed lightweight title on June 14.
Visit sport-tr.bet for more information.
The former two-division champion looked like easy prey for Gaethje, with commentators Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier repeatedly pointing out how easily the American was finding his target. While Topuria has since returned to the public eye, breaking his silence with a nine-part essay on his website and already eyeing a potential rematch with Gaethje, the jokes about him quitting back in June haven’t gone away.
JUSTIN GAETHJE BEATS ILIA TOPURIA
ILIA COULDNT GET OFF THE STOOL#UFCWhiteHousehttps://t.co/iJJbF61WEe
— Dovy (@DovySimuMMA) June 15, 2026
ALSO READ:Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane 2 Was Set for UFC 334 Before Another Right Eye Injury Derailed Plans
Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev have both taken shots at Topuria since the loss, and now Nate Diaz has joined in. The former UFC star was in attendance for the unveiling of Scott Coker’s Ki MMA venture, where he was asked about Topuria and the Spaniard’s plans for a comeback.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Diaz reminded Topuria that the Spaniard had called him a punching bag in the past. He said, “I don’t really give a fuck about what they do, but Ilia is lame as fuck. He’s a punching bag. He called me a punching bag; he’s a fucking punching bag.”
Diaz also compared Topuria’s rise to that of Conor McGregor. He pointed to McGregor’s first UFC loss against Diaz at UFC 196 in 2016, suggesting Topuria experienced a similar reality check when he finally ran into Gaethje.
He added, “He got his ass whooped, and they made a big deal out of him just like they did out of Conor (McGregor) when he started coming up, getting an early pump-up before you’ve been in a real fight. So, that’s what happened to him when he got into a real fight with Justin Gaethje. Now look at you.”
View this post on Instagram
That’s classic Diaz trash talk, the kind of blunt commentary that has kept him in the spotlight throughout his career. Still, given Diaz’s own recent run and his history of enduring plenty of damage inside the cage, his criticism of Topuria is bound to raise a few eyebrows.
Before running into Gaethje, Topuria was on a historic tear. He captured UFC titles at both 155 and 145 pounds while putting together consecutive knockout wins over Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski. That run gave him an aura rarely seen inside the Octagon, but Gaethje managed to completely flip the script and force him to quit on his stool.
Topuria is now focused on getting healthy and eventually making his comeback, while Diaz is coming off his first MMA fight in four years. The 41-year-old former UFC star lost to Mike Perry at the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event in May and has also remained active in boxing. For now, Diaz appears to be looking toward another fight somewhere in 2027.
Since leaving the UFC in 2022, Diaz has fought just three times. That includes his MMA loss to Mike Perry, a boxing loss to Jake Paul, and a boxing win over Jorge Masvidal, although the latter bout was followed by a dispute over millions of dollars in promised purse money.
With Diaz still weighing his options for 2027, it remains to be seen whether his next fight comes under MVP MMA or if he eventually ends up in Scott Coker’s new promotion.