Nate Diaz defends Conor McGregor, Maycee Barber out & Dustin Poirier retired?

I'll be breaking down the news from around the combat sports world and giving you my take on it in this new daily column. Check back every morning to see the biggest or most obscure headlines and what I think about them below.

Nate Diaz defended Conor McGregor's UFC 303 pull out

THE NEWS: Nate Diaz spoke to MMA Junkie about his former opponent's UFC 303 pull out and he defended the decision not to fight. “I think it was just a minor thing,” Diaz said. “I think they made a bigger deal out of it than it is. Good idea. If I get f*cked up, I would like to push the fight back too, but people f*cking freak out. I think I wouldn’t want to fight until I’m 100 percent ready to rock too, because in the past I’ve done all kinds of sh*t I shouldn’t have done."

He continued, “So, I think he learned from experience and all these inexperienced people out there talking sh*t, just speaking for their inexperience. They’re going to have to deal with the criticism until the fight gets done, but I think it’ll happen and it’ll all be good.”

MY THOUGHTS: WOW. I'm actually shocked here and that doesn't happen all that often. Everyone and their mother is taking a shot at McGregor and I wrote about how I don't think that's the right take to make. Everything Diaz said just backed all that up the points I have been making. But having that stuff coming from a high-level, well-respected fighter (and a former enemy of Conor McGregor) means so much more.

Maycee Barber out of UFC Denver, Tracy Cortez in to face Rose Namajunas

THE NEWS: Maycee Barber is out of her main event slot for UFC Denver and the UFC is working on getting Tracy Cortez in to face Rose Namajunas.

MY THOUGHTS: It's a bummer that Barber is out, she has ties to Denver and would have been a great fight for her in front of friends and family but Tracy Cortez vs. Rose Namajunas will be an incredible fight too.

Did Dustin Poirier finally announce retirement?

THE NEWS: Dustin Poirier sent Twitter into a panic when he tweeted what appeared to be a farewell to MMA. He wrote "Been toe 2 toe with the best of em. Grateful for the journey." He followed that tweet up with clarification about 10 hours later. "That wasn't a retirement tweet. I'm just grateful for the journey, but I'm still unsure about what's next."

MY THOUGHTS: I don't want Poirier to retire, ever. I know it will happen eventually but for now, I want him to stick around. i don't think he's over yet and I'd like to see him go out on a win on a card in Louisiana. He deserves it.