During the Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday, Nate Diaz gave his reason for his unprofessional act, slapping Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC lightweight champion in the face.

“He was not humble and not this nice guy,” Diaz began. “He was sitting there with his friend trying to making a fight with me, taking a picture of me making fun of me. So I capitalized and said ‘f**k you’ and slapped him in his face.”

Going further to explain, Diaz stated that even after he gave Khabib a slap to the face, Khabib’s supposed ‘Russian army’s didn’t react.

“He’s new to this whole championship… he could have fought me, but he’s playing big dog, so I don’t need to sit here and f**king wait for no fights, I need to get this show on the road,” Diaz stated.

This verbal controversy between Diaz and Nurmagomedov alongside his team took place at a World Series of Fighting events in the month of August, in the year 2015, at that time Nurmagomedov’s brother was fighting. Both parties got engaged in a serious fight which was digitally recorded. Previously, Diaz on Instagram had verbally insulted Nurmagomedov about the fight and on the other hand, Khabib had made plans to reciprocate that treatment, although in a much bigger way.

Diaz has never ignored controversies from his rivals. He previously had an episode with Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, and now he has a new combat controversy with Nurmagomedov. Fortunately, the two fighters, Diaz and Nurmagomedov have one thing in common, which is their contempt McGregor.

Diaz’s next match happens to be against Anthony Pettis in Anthem, California, on the 17^th of August. He confidently spoke that he was done in the UFC lightweight division, but on a clearer note it looks like he has a controversial settlement to make with Khabib.