We last saw Nate Diaz in the cage when he lost a majority decision to Conor McGregor at UFC 202. To this day, it was the biggest fight in UFC history.
Blockbuster fights don’t always deliver. Often-times, a post-fight realization will transform what once appeared to be a runaway success into a runaway purse-snatching promotion. However, with Diaz/McGregor II, the build-up was sensationally chaotic, and their fight lifted the promotional pandemonium through the stratosphere. It didn’t take an expert to appreciate what took place in the octagon that night. Both Nate and Conor earned the respect of everybody watching.
The Resurrection of McGregor vs. Diaz III
I still remember the post-fight aftermath on the night of the event. There was talk of a trilogy fight happening immediately after the show had concluded. It was that good. One dream scenario was seeing Conor win the lightweight belt, and then to defend his belt against Nate Diaz to conclude their trilogy. But like many other fight fantasies, it didn’t play out that way….yet.
After a two-year hiatus from the sport, Nate Diaz is back with a fight booked against Dustin Poirier. When it came out that this fight had been put together, reactions flooded social media. Diaz had been sorely missed and it was clear to all who were watching that fight fans needed him back. Even when Diaz showed up late to the press conference (a fact he claims to be the UFC’s fault), fans began cheering loudly. His presence was and always will be welcome.
Diaz/Poirier is a big fight that is sure to deliver. Much like Conor did in his first fight with Nate, Diaz is likely to draw a large contingent of casual fans. Playing the role of scrappy spoiler? Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier. It is tremendously difficult to come up with a scenario where this fight doesn’t deliver. Nate Diaz and Dustin Poirier are two of the toughest competitors to ever put on the 4-ounce gloves. This matchup is an unequivocal homerun by the UFC.
One month before this fight takes place, Khabib Nurmagomedov will be defending his belt against Conor McGregor. You read that right. Within 24 hours, the return of both Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor have been announced by the UFC. The two rivals are scheduled to compete within a month of each other. If they both win, one wonders what might happen next.
The dream for a title fight to complete the Diaz/McGregor trilogy isn’t dead yet. In fact, as of this moment, the idea is very much alive again.
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