Brendan Schaub has come out firmly against Nate Diaz’s recent attacks on Daniel Cormier, calling the former UFC champion “MMA royalty” and saying Diaz is “barking up the wrong tree.”
Diaz recently went on a heated rant aimed at Cormier’s commentary and analyst work with the UFC, prompting Cormier to respond by comparing his own career to Diaz’s. The tension arrives as Diaz is scheduled to return to MMA against Mike Perry on May 16, on the undercard of Rona Rousey vs. Gina Carano on Netflix.
Schaub, a former UFC heavyweight, said Diaz’s approach might connect with some fans but crosses a line when it targets Cormier. “Like, some people are like, 'F*ck yeah, man, f*ck those guys.' It's his thing, and it's working. He's making money, so I don't hate on him for any of that. The issue is these guys that he's talking sh*t about is, if you know anything about the sport of mixed martial arts, every guy he talks sh*t about is a better fighter and has a better career. So that's why he's going for those guys. He's just barking up the wrong tree when he talks sh*t to Daniel Cormier. You're talking about MMA royalty.”
Schaub also pushed back on the idea of Diaz as a legendary figure on Cormier’s level, arguing there is “a difference between being famous and accomplished” and saying, “Now some of you that are new to the sport will be like, 'Nate Diaz is royalty.' He's not.”
