Islam Makhachev discussed a December 2024 backstage water-bottle exchange with Nate Diaz in an interview reported on January 7, 2025. The exchange happened while Diaz was waiting for ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC 310, where he was supporting Kron Gracie. MMA Fighting’s report places the incident in that context.
The fighters gave different accounts
Makhachev said he and Diaz had previously greeted each other respectfully in an elevator, then claimed Diaz later made an obscene gesture toward his team before bottles were thrown. Diaz disputed that account, saying the elevator meeting never happened and contesting who started the exchange. MMA Fighting reported Diaz’s response.
The UFC 310 and UFC 311 timeline
The incident attracted attention during the same period that the UFC promoted two different events. Diaz was present in support of a teammate on the UFC 310 card, while Makhachev was taking part in promotional activity for the following month’s UFC 311. The January reports revisited an encounter from December rather than documenting a new incident on January 7.
Makhachev’s next competitive appearance
Makhachev was preparing to defend the lightweight championship at UFC 311 on January 18, 2025. His scheduled opponent was Arman Tsarukyan, but the matchup changed shortly before the event. Renato Moicano took the title challenge instead.
The completed main event took place at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Makhachev submitted Moicano with a D’Arce choke at 4:05 of the first round, as recorded in the official UFC results. That sporting outcome is separate from the backstage dispute and the differing accounts offered afterward. The accompanying video and reports preserve the context of the earlier exchange, while the event record establishes what happened in competition.
