Directly after his shock win over Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz casually told UFC's Joe Rogan that he wasn't surprised he won the Welterweight showdown at UFC 196.
And in a post-fight interview with Fox Sports, it was clear that the seasoned MMA fighter made that statement with absolute conviction.
Given that Diaz prevailed in the MGM Grand without the crucial camp preparations behind him, this was an exceptional win for him. And the American made no hesitation in reminding people of his disadvantaged position ahead of the fight.
''Nothing surprises me except for not getting the camp. I knew I was gonna start slow and pick up as I go. On my worst day I'll train for two hours. I don't have hobbies. I think I train harder than the hardest workers in the off-season.''
''As far as the hype, it's the biggest fight for everyone. I feel bad for Frankie (Edgar), I feel he should have goten this fight. But, I can't get nothing in this game so I'll take whatever I can get. Whether it's 10 days, 5 days, 3 days or whatever.''
MUST WATCH: @NateDiaz209 gave an EPIC interview after finishing @TheNotoriousMMA at #UFC196 https://t.co/XheA6Igfh7
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) March 6, 2016
Diaz needed no prompting throughout the interview and carried himself with the same level of confidence he exuded in the swift build-up to the fight. But his assessment of Conor McGregor's rapid rise in the UFC ranks will not be well received by those who follow Mystic Mac.
He believes that the backing of the UFC, more so than his own ability as a fighter, has been the main contributor to McGregor's success.
''I put in a lot of time in it and everything I have, I work for it. I'm fighting for 12 years and this guy is a good fighter but he's where he's at because of the push he's getting. I put in a lot of work and there ain't no push. I know I'm a better fighter than him. They're gonna try and bring him back to the top.''
''I'm fighting in the UFC since I'm 21 and this is my 25th fight. There is no experience like that. I think this is his sixth, seventh or eighth fight but we'll see where he's at in 26 fights from now.''
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