Dana White, president of UFC, has disclosed that the promotion held contract talks to Nate Diaz.
Fan favorite Diaz is still fighting under his current deal with the MMA champion and is eager to try free agency.
Although the UFC was keen to book a fight between Diaz, and Dustin Poirier, they have since moved on.
However, the UFC brass are eager to tie Diaz down and have held talks with the Ultimate Fighter Season Five winner to try to persuade him to sign a new contract.
White stated that he had met Nate last week during the UFC 273 press conference.
"I don’t know how we got there [as] I just popped by and said hello.
"But I don’t know [what’s next for him]. It will all be figured out."
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UFC chiefs hoped to book Diaz, an ex-TUF star, in a grudge bout with Dustin Poirier, former interim lightweight champion.
However, putting together the dust-up has proved to be more difficult than White and UFC's matchmakers had anticipated.
White and Co. decided to leave the match-up and said when they were asked if they had considered other fights for their pair: "Yeah."
White laughed when he was asked to name potential rivals.
Get a PS10 Bonus with 100s of Games to Play and No Deposit RequiredDiaz, 36, has not fought since losing to Brit Leon Edwards in a unanimous decision at UFC 263 last Juni.
Poirier was defeated by Charles Oliveira, the lightweight champion, in the third round at UFC 269 in December.
They were scheduled to face each other at UFC 230 almost four years ago.
Poirier sustained a hip injury that ended his bout. However, the Diamond continues to be determined to trade blows with the younger Diaz brother.
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He said this during a January appearance on Joe Rogan Experience Podcast: "I think before my end fighting, I'm going fight 170."
"I'll fight Nate up to 170. For sure. Because of how it broke apart, I believe so.
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