Nick Diaz Says 'Rude' UFC Tried to Lowball Him; Denies UFC 235 Fight Is Set

While UFC President Dana White previously indicated Nick Diaz's return to the company was close, the fighter denied he reached an agreement to fight Jorge Masvidal at UFC 235.

"I think it's rude of the UFC to try and lowball me and expect me to negotiate a deal while I'm training for a fight," Diaz said, per ESPN.com's Ariel Helwani. "It's not gonna go down like that. If anybody wants to fight me they know where to find me. I'm not a hard guy to find. Come get some."

Diaz hasn't fought since his no-contest with Anderson Silva at UFC 183 in January 2015. Silva originally won, but the result got thrown out after he tested positive for two banned substances. Diaz also failed a drug test, which resulted in a five-year suspension. The suspension eventually got knocked down to 18 months.

ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto reported in November a fight between Diaz and Masvidal wasn't yet confirmed but that the details were "close to being finalized."

According to Okamoto, Masvidal said the UFC had made an offer to his camp but that "he wasn't sure if Diaz would accept."

During the UFC 231 post-fight press conference, White told reporters that Diaz vs. Masvidal was set as far as he knew.

Based on his comments to Helwani, Diaz appears open to a return to the Octagon but on terms more favorable to him.

"As soon as I am in a good place with what I'm working on and things look the way it should, I'll be happy to give the fans what they need," he said. "But I think they will be OK for now with what's out there. There aren't any fights for me until someone stands out."

One fight is set for the UFC 235 card. Robbie Lawler will take on Ben Askren in March after the UFC canceled UFC 233, which was originally scheduled for Jan. 26.