Nate Diaz should complete the trilogy with Conor McGregor, according to his manager. Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor have had one of the most epic rivalries in UFC history. The duo initially clashed at UFC 196 back in 2016. With McGregor the hot favorite to win the bout, Diaz pulled off a shocker. He caught ‘The Notorious’ in a submission and ended proceedings sooner than anyone expected.
However, McGregor had his revenge soon after. Facing off once again after five months, the Irishman beat Nate Diaz to avenge his previous loss. With the rivalry standing at 1-1, fans have long been calling for a trilogy. Unfortunately, Nate Diaz stepped away from the sport for three years, returning at UFC 241. Cut to 2024, and Nate Diaz has hinted at joining the UFC once more. And with McGregor close to making his return, this could be a dream match in the making.
Nate Diaz v Conor McGregor, touted as a ‘bigger fan fight’ by Cesar Gracie
Cesar Gracie has been coaching Nate Diaz for quite some time now. Following his impressive victory against Jorge Masvidal recently, Diaz’s coach proposed the idea of the trilogy. Heaping praises on Nate Diaz, Gracie stated that this was the perfect time for the bout to take place. In his recent appearance in the Submission Radio podcast, Cesar Gracie termed the McGregor-Diaz fight as a ‘bigger fan fight’.
Gracie said, “Chandler and McGregor is a good fight, too. But, I mean, just from the history of Nate and McGregor, I think it’d be a bigger fan fight if they had a trilogy. And in my opinion, that’s what I’m thinking.” Gracie then also went on to elaborate on who would win, provided the UFC did confirm the booking."
Nate Diaz’s coach mentioned that his client is in better physical condition than Conor McGregor. With so many years out of action, ring rust is bound to slow down ‘The Notorious’, according to Gracie. Well, while Diaz’s coach wants McGregor, UFC commentator Jon Anik has proposed a fight with a different opponent.
Jon Anik hints at a potential Nate Diaz fight with Dustin Poirier
With Nate Diaz expressing his wish for a UFC return, options seem to be coming in thick and fast at the moment. Recently, speaking about the same, Jon Anik mentioned about a fight with Dustin Poirier. Anik detailed that Poirier still has the hunger to compete in a fight, but at the moment, there are not many options in the UFC.
So with Nate Diaz coming back, Anik stated that it would be a viable option for the UFC to book the match. Poirier himself, too, has hinted at such a matchup on his social media. But on the flip side, ‘Diamond’ has also challenged Islam Makhachev to a rematch, following Arman Tsarukyan’s suspension. Thus, with options galore, it remains to be seen who Nate Diaz faces if he truly makes a return to the Dana White-led promotion anytime soon.
