White sad Diaz leaving UFC, says people 'want to see' Chimaev fight

Count UFC president Dana White among those who will be upset to see Nate Diaz go.

White said Tuesday he finds it unfortunate when a fighter decides to leave the promotion or retire, but he's also glad Diaz plans to exit at the right time and on his own terms.

"I care about Nate a lot," White told reporters, according to MMA Junkie. "I like Nate.

"You think about the wars Diaz has put on and the incredible fights and the big fights that he's done with us. Go do whatever you want to do, man."

Diaz will face welterweight sensation Khamzat Chimaev in the final bout on his current contract in the UFC 279 main event on Sept. 10. He has said he has no plan to sign a new deal, but it seems likely he will remain in combat sports outside the promotion. The 37-year-old is one of the biggest stars in MMA and has competed in the Octagon since 2007.

Before the Chimaev fight was official, Diaz put the UFC on blast for refusing to give him a matchup in a rare media appearance, saying the promotion was "holding me hostage."

But according to White, the holdup wasn't just because of the UFC.

"Getting a fight done with him isn't as easy as it seems," White said. "Everybody's like, 'Well, why don't you make a fight? Well, why don't you make a fight?' Well, he asked for Francis Ngannou. I could go on forever, but I won't.

"We got it done. That's the fight he wanted. We made it. And here we are. And it's a good fight. It's a fight that people will want to see. It's a fight that people will be interested in. So we're going to do it."