Update: Nick Diaz Denies Sending Hate Emails To Diego Sanchez

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kaim-Oncea - USA TODAY Sports

Former WEC and Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz has denied ever sending alleged hate emails to former Octagon rival, Diego 'The Nightmare' Sanchez - in which the Albuquerque native claims Diaz sent abusive messages about his family.

Diaz, 37, originally met with former lightweight title challenger, Sanchez back at The Ultimate Fighter 2 finale, dropping a unanimous decision at the November 2005 event. The loss marked the beginning of a three-fight skid for the Stockon fan favourite.

Speaking on the Real Quick with Mike Swick podcast recently, Sanchez explained to the UFC alumnus how Diaz had somehow obtained his e-mail address from a mixed martial arts journalist, before sending him a slew of hate messages, aimed at his parents and family.

"Me and Nick Diaz hated each other," Sanchez explained. "Nick Diaz used to send me e-mails. He found my e-mail, he talked to one of the MMA journalists at the time, there wasn't many. Gave him my e-mail and he would e-mail me hate mails. Bad sh*t. Talking sh*t about my mom, talking sh*t about my dad, just trying to get under my skin with everything he had. He hated me. He hated Ultimate Fighters because we got all that attention. He was in the spotlight at that time, he hated us and he hated me." (H/T MMA Fighting)

3rd. degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Diaz took to his official Instagram account recently, where he denied ever sending hate messages to Sanchez, writing on his story, "I would never do this".

The Cesar Gracie student has yet to feature in the Octagon since UFC 183 five years ago, where he featured opposite former middleweight titleholder, Anderson 'The Spider' Silva, in an eventual 'No Contest' result. In prior career successes, the Californian has defeated the likes of Robbie Lawler, Josh Neer, Frank Shamrock, K.J. Noons, Paul Daley, and B.J. Penn to name a few.

For Sanchez, the veteran former Jackson-Wink MMA mainstay last featured at UFC Fight Night Rio Rancho in February - taking a controversial disqualification win over Michel Pereira following a third-round illegal knee. The inaugural victor of The Ultimate Fighter all the way back in April of 2005, is in line to meet with 26-year-old Melbourne prospect, Jake Matthews at UFC 253 on September 26.

Sanchez's head-coach, Joshua Fabia has been the subject of much scrutiny recently, with many questioning his well-documented training methods and corner advice, particularly in his aforementioned meeting with Pereira - as has Sanchez's decision to take his camp from Albuquerque.