UFC President Dana White Changes His Stance On Nate Diaz's Drawing Power

Years ago, UFC president Dana White stated that he didn't view Nate Diaz as a "needle-mover" when it came to making an impact both inside and outside the Octagon. That all changed after UFC 241 and a win over Anthony Pettis for Diaz.

"He's a needle-mover now," White said during the post-fight press conference. "It's tough to deny (his appeal)."

Diaz made waves in the days leading up to the fight vs. Pettis from Anaheim, California, but once the cage door closed, he showed little signs of it being his first bout in three years. Pettis, a former UFC champion, was riding an impressive win streak, but had no match for the Stockton, California native.

"(Pettis) is an unbelievable ex-champion who has looked ridiculous in his last couple of fights," White said. "(Diaz) looked a little rough in the first, then he completely changed his game plan and started to fight his fight. Once he got there he basically did what he wanted against one of the Top-10 guys in the world after a three-year layoff.

"Pretty damn impressive."

After the win, Diaz called for a bout with Jorge Masvidal, to which White said "who wouldn't want to see that fight? I think everyone would want to see that fight."