‘More unexpected than the pandemic’: Shock as Boris Johnson’s Brexit-plotting old sidekick Cummings advises UFC’s McGregor & Diaz

One of the most divisive figures in British politics, Dominic Cummings, has stunned MMA fans by telling Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz that they can make more money outside of a UFC deal – receiving an avalanche of replies.

Known as a shadowy yet hugely influential figure in the current Conservative government, Cummings shot into the spotlight last year when he was accused of making a lengthy drive to visit his parents' farm despite suffering from Covid-19 symptoms at a time when the UK was operating under lockdown.

That led to a huge scandal, with many pillorying the former director of the Vote Leave campaign advocating for Brexit, leading to Cummings make an infamous address in the garden at the official residence of the prime minister, who defended his key sidekick.

Almost a year after he left his governmental position, the 49-year-old took the surprising step of weighing in on UFC fighter Nate Diaz's position with the championship, publicly offering his views on promotion president Dana White, Conor McGregor – who Diaz beat and then lost to in 2016 – and former champion Georges St Pierre.

"Do not sign [a] new UFC contract," renowned tactician Cummings told Diaz, responding to a Twitter announcement by the popular veteran that he plans to "fight somebody".

"You will make more cash outside and Dana White will come do a deal at some point for [a] trilogy [McGregor] fight, but outside [the organization] you’ll have much more leverage and make more money.

"Look [at] how they screwed Georges St Pierre, [who is] now waiting for [his] contract to expire."

One of the richest athletes in the world, McGregor is clearly not impressed by Diaz's dealings.

"Does this lanky streak of p*ss think he's business-savvy or something?" asked the mega-wealthy Irishman.

"Hey, bro. You’d 15 fights in the UFC and were on 20k to fight, 20k to win... 15 f*cking fights. In the ufc.

"Eyelid hanging off your head and handed a 20k check pre-tax. Know who made you."

Fighter pay has been a keenly-debated issue around the damagingly exacting sport, with the likes of YouTuber, boxing newcomer and celebrity Jake Paul regularly goading White over the amount stars receive.

Paul has claimed he wants to fight McGregor, and Cummings appears to see that showbiz scrap as part of his masterplan for the fighters.

"You'll both make much more money if Diaz negotiates from outside the UFC, just as you and [former opponent and unbeaten boxer] Floyd Mayweather both made a ton more money because he was outside [the] UFC.

"Nate can market your trilogy better while kicking [the] sh*t out of Jake Paul etc first. You know I'm right – so does Georges St Pierre."

There was no immediate word on whether McGregor and Diaz agreed with their unexpected new adviser, but astonished onlookers were ready to offer feedback.

"Word of warning, Nate," said one critic, referencing the current gas supply crisis in the UK, which is now outside of the European Union following the successful campaign overseen by Cummings.

"The last people who followed Dom's advice about leaving an organization are now struggling to get gas and to put food on the table."

Others could not resist echoing Cummings' infamous reasoning for the long journey he made by car, which he bizarrely claimed had been an exercise in checking he could see properly.

"Nate, do not listen to this guy," warned one. "You will regret it and [Cummings] will tell you to go for a 250-mile drive at some point to check your eyesight, but really you'll just need to go to [the opticians]. Look how it turned out for him – now he's waiting for work to come in."

"What has this world come to where Dominic Cummings is tweeting Nate Diaz?" boggled an MMA fan. "This wasn't on my 2021 bingo card."

Another said: "Dominic Cummings tweeting Nate Diaz contract advice is actually more unexpected than the global pandemic we have been living through for the last one-and-a-half years. Amazing. He’s also not wrong on this."