Einstein, cannabis and 4 a.m. convos: Two days in the 209 with Nate Diaz

Editor's note: Khamzat Chimaev missed weight and Nate Diaz will now fight Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 279.

STOCKTON, Calif. — GILBERT MELENDEZ, NATE Diaz's longtime teammate, was in Stockton with some of his students from El Niño Training Center in South San Francisco for a night training session at Nick Diaz Academy on Aug. 24. Melendez and crew arrived first at the «Trap House» — the name given by Nate Diaz to a small, two-bedroom guest house across from his property — where they chatted with Diaz's team and watched YouTube videos on the big screen.

Diaz's first fight with Conor McGregor ended up being shown, and right at the beginning of the second round, Diaz showed up at the guest house. He opened the door, looked to his right at what was on the TV and chuckled.

«I f---ed him up,» Diaz said, emphasizing the last three words.

Despite the UFC's desire and attempts to make a Diaz vs. McGregor trilogy fight, it won't happen anytime soon. In fact, any UFC fights that involve Diaz aren't in the cards for the foreseeable future after this weekend.

On Saturday, Diaz will fight up-and-coming star Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 279 in Las Vegas (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV). It will be the final fight on Diaz's UFC contract, as he is poised to do something that has never been done before in MMA: depart the UFC voluntarily at the height of his fame.

Diaz said this moment is simply the «halftime show,» now that he will have the freedom to do whatever he wants after this fight.

Two weeks before UFC 279, the famously private Diaz allowed ESPN unprecedented access to his Northern California training camp. Diaz, 37, has finished McGregor, headlined Madison Square Garden in a fight for a mythical BMF title and been