Kamaru Usman believes Nate Diaz's days as an elite fighter are over.
Diaz, 39, was back in action this past Saturday, taking on fellow UFC veteran Jorge Masvidal in a 10-round boxing match in Los Angeles.
It was the pair's second meeting after Masvidal battered Diaz to a doctor stoppage at UFC 244 in 2019, but Diaz managed to even the score in their boxing rematch, scoring a majority decision win.
It was a crucial win for the fan favorite, as it separated him from a tough loss to Jake Paul in his boxing debut early late last year, and it should also set him up for other big opportunities, be it in the ring or back in the UFC's Octagon.
According to the former UFC welterweight champ Usman, however, Diaz will no longer be able compete with the best mixed martial artists in the world at either welterweight or lightweight.
"He was [a world class fighter]," Usman told his co-host Henry Cejudo on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. "And don't get me wrong, shout out to Nate Diaz. Nate Diaz can still fight, but he's not a world class fighter. Are you crazy?
"Throw Nate Diaz in there with Shavkat Rakhmonov. Throw Nate Diaz in there with myself. Throw Nate Diaz in there with JDM [Jack Della Maddalena]. Throw Nate Diaz in there with Justin Gaethje. Come on."
Diaz's Saturday win over Masvidal was the subject of immediate controversy. Many viewers believed Masvidal deserved the decision on the basis that he seemed to land the much harder shots throughout the fight.
Usman, however, understands why the judges went the way they did.
"Everybody knows Nate Diaz got that Homer Simpson in him. It don't matter how many times you hit him, he ain't going down.
"I think the activity at the end from Diaz is what kind of swayed the judges, because, yes Masvidal was landing cleaner shots, harder shots, but Nate was just touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, and just refused to go down, and of course over time, the judges are going to see it that way."
Usman ruled over the UFC welterweight division from 2019-2022. He defended his title five times before relinquishing it, including two wins over Masvidal. He has never fought Diaz.
