Veteran Welterweight Discusses Why He Spurned Trilogy Fight
Nate Diaz (21-13 MMA, 16-11 UFC) has fought 27 times in MMA’s top promotion, the UFC. It’s been more than three and a half years since he last competed under the company’s banner and close to two years since he fought in any capacity. On May 16, D...
Nate Diaz (21-13 MMA, 16-11 UFC) has fought 27 times in MMA’s top promotion, the UFC. It’s been more than three and a half years since he last competed under the company’s banner and close to two years since he fought in any capacity.
On May 16, Diaz ends his combat sports hiatus in southern California with a fight against fellow UFC alumnus Mike Perry (14-8 MMA, 7-8 UFC) in the first MMA card under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions banner. The card also features the MMA return of Ronda Rousey and a heavyweight fight between Francis Ngannou and Philipe Lins.
UFC CEO Dana White mentioned that there’s no negativity toward Nate Diaz moving to MVP ahead of the May 16 Netflix show.
“We had a good time,” White said of the meeting with Nate Diaz after UFC London March 21. “I think Nate just got an offer that he couldn’t refuse. I haven’t talked to him since then, but I’m happy for him.”
Nate Diaz last fought in the UFC in September of 2022 during UFC 279. In the main event of the evening that late summer Saturday night, he locked in a fourth-round submission by way of guillotine choke.
Diaz hasn’t fought under MMA rules since that weekend, but that’ll change in a month and a half on Netflix. As is the case with any high-profile MMA fight, Diaz is already beginning to make the rounds on the interview circuit.
Nate Diaz Reveals Reasons Why He Rejected Trilogy Bout vs. McGregor on This Past Weekend
Earlier Tuesday, he was a guest of Theo Von on This Past Weekend. During the interview, after Theo Von took Diaz and fellow guest Chris Avila to task for showing up three hours behind schedule, the topic of a trilogy fight against Conor McGregor came up and why he’s shown no interest in fighting “The Notorious” for a third time.
“I think that if I went back to UFC,” Nate Diaz began, “they want me to fight Conor McGregor right now. I know this, but I’m thinking about it. I’m like ‘Conor McGregor just (expletive deleted) lost to Poirier.’ He got knocked out on his ass, so Poirier knocks his ass out and then breaks his leg.”
Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor fought twice in 2016, with the all-time series between them level at one win apiece. The latter evened the score in August of that year (majority decision) after the former won the original fight (second-round submission: rear-naked choke) in early March.
During the podcast, Nate Diaz delved into Conor McGregor’s potential comeback. Earlier this month, McGregor, who had hoped to appear during the UFC Freedom 250 card on The White House lawn in Washington, said that he’s targeting a summer return to competition.
“I’m like, ‘I hope he comes back and does good,'” he mentioned, “then everybody’s counting him out. I’m like, ‘All right, cool,’ I know he’s having a hard time with the UFC because I’ve been having a hard time with the UFC.”
Nate Diaz Eager to Fight Oliveira in Potential UFC Return
Despite the fact that Nate Diaz is preparing to fight under the MVP banner in mid-May, he’s not completely slamming the door shut on a possible return fight in the UFC. He mentioned that he’s got one particular fighter in mind.
“Charles Oliveira just won the fight,” he said. “You’re rocking my belt now and you’re acting like you’re the baddest (censored,) so that’s where I’m like ‘What’s popping with the UFC? Let’s link up and get this fight popping.’ I go back to talk to them about it, and they’re all ready for me to come back and fight Conor.”
Diaz says he doesn’t have any interest in fighting Conor McGregor in the twilight of the latter’s career in MMA.
“We ain’t friends, we ain’t none of that, but I ain’t trying to finish this dude off,” he mentioned. “That’s what I plan on doing if we’re fighting. At the same time, I ain’t trying to get up by nobody who got knocked out on his ass. This guy’s down and out, now he’s nothing but motivated to fight me because who else are you going to fight in there?”
Final Thoughts: Nate Diaz Holds Power in Future Negotiations
At the end of the day, Nate Diaz is only interested in fighting the competitors he wants to fight, not who the UFC believes he should fight. If, by chance, he does make a return to the UFC, the matchmakers would be best served to keep this in mind when the moment to book Diaz for a future fight is at hand.
If the UFC attempts to offer a fight between Diaz and Conor McGregor in the event of the former’s return, don’t be surprised to see him walk away without a word. On the other side of the coin, if they give him a fight with Oliveira, that would be a blockbuster main event, no matter when or where it takes place.
