Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. Image via: Zuffa LLC | AP
Will there be a dream match between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz? Not anytime soon. McGregor remains one of the biggest draws in combat sports, yet his long-awaited return keeps running into unexpected roadblocks.
Nate Diaz, his old rival, has made it clear that a trilogy fight is not on his radar right now.The UFC has quietly pushed for a third meeting between the two, hoping to revive one of its most electric rivalries. Diaz, though, is looking in a different direction. His reasons are rooted in how he sees McGregor’s current place in the sport.
Nate Diaz reveals why he rejected the fight against Conor McGregor in UFC return
Nate Diaz did not hold back when discussing why he turned down the UFC’s offer. Speaking openly, he questioned the timing and the condition McGregor is coming back from after his loss to Dustin Poirier.“For instance, I think that if I went back to UFC, they want me to fight Conor McGregor right now,” Diaz said. “For me, Conor McGregor just, pull up his record, do we got his record? I know this, but I’m thinking about it, I’m like, Conor McGregor just f***ing lost to Poirier. He got knocked out on his ass,” Diaz said in his latest appearance on This Past Weekend podcast.
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“So Poirier knocks his a** out, and then he breaks his leg, which is horrible because Poirier’s a sorry little bitch.
I’m like, he knocks him out, and then he gets his leg broken, and it’s like, ‘F***, that’s fing horrible.’ We’re adversaries, but I’m like, ‘Bro, you broke your whole s.’ I don’t wish that on anybody. Then I’m like, I hope he comes back and does good.”Diaz made it clear he has no interest in facing McGregor at a low point.“I want to fight the best of the best when they are the best of the best. Conor’s great, but I’m not trying to go kill off Conor when he’s on his last dying f***ing leg, literally,” he said.“I’m not trying to be the ending to some f***er’s story like that. We ain’t friends, we ain’t none of that, but I ain’t trying to finish this dude off. That’s what I plan on doing if we’re fighting.”
Nate Diaz explains why he chose Mike Perry in Jake Paul ’s MVP
Instead of revisiting old history, Diaz has chosen a different kind of challenge. He is set to face Mike Perry on Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions card.“The UFC is like, ‘OK, we want you to come back, and maybe later we’ll do that,’” Diaz said.
“I’m like, OK, well, you know who’s doing a good job? Close to the same amount offer for Mike Perry, who’s the fing most violent motherfer around right now.“Doing things, taking over the business, running s***, doing his own promotion. I’m a lot more enthusiastic to get up and run and get ready to train for this motherf***er who’s going to knock me out, or I’m going to knock his ass out, and we’re going to take who’s the bigger dog.”Diaz also kept his long-term plans open, hinting that McGregor is not out of the picture forever. “Me and Conor will fight again when the time is right, and it’s to fight, but it’s going to be when we’re both on the uprising,” Diaz said. “Not when someone’s dying out. I’m nobody’s comeback story either.”But as of now, the chances of the trilogy fight are slim to none. Diaz will fight Perry in a 5-round, 170-pound MMA match on May 16, 2026.
