UFC legends Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz hint at reigniting their bitter rivalry for a third fight after taking sly digs at each other. Following his victory, Diaz issued a challenge to McGregor for round three, which had fans speculating this dream fight might come to fruition in 2024. One win a piece for both fighters and now the world of combat sports is talking about the chance of one last showdown!
Social Media Challenges From Nate Diaz
The dust has barely settled but Nate Diaz is vocal in his belief that he should meet McGregor for a third time, and you can guarantee the flames of this rivalry will be stoked. The buttons were pressed when Diaz recently took to X (Ex-Twitter) challenging both Conor McGregor and boxing champion Terence Crawford with the following: “I box Crawford and fight Conor next – 168 LFG” This public call not only put McGregor on notice but rattled one of the marquee names in boxing, showing Diaz meant business across more than just MMA formats.
Diaz has piggybacked off his successful ventures outside the UFC, like his aforementioned November 2023 boxing match with Jake Paul. But his most recent call-out has only poured more gasoline on the belief that he wants a trilogy-ending fight against McGregor, a rivalry that many claim has been THE biggest in UFC history.
Tommy Jackson McGregor’s Response and Status now
Conor McGregor can’t stay out of the conversation for a potential trilogy fight with Diaz. The Irishman has not entered the Octagon since his 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier and had been targeting a return following an extended layoff during which he recovered from a leg injury. This only increases the momentum of Diaz calling out McGregor, who has long said he wanted to finish his business with Diaz.
McGregor Has Been Linked To Several Fighters For His Opponent While a fight with Michael Chandler was in play, that seems to be in question now and might open the door for the third Diaz bout. McGregor is already a media darling and loves to hype fights by posting on social media. Fans still hold out hope that the long-resisted showdown will finally come to pass and he had no immediate answer when asked what his reaction would be about Diaz’s latest call-out.
A Great Rivalry For Ages
The McGregor-Diaz rivalry kicked off in 2016 after Diaz replaced an injured dos Santos and fought a then-undefeated McGregor at UFC 196. McGregor suffered his first UFC defeat from Diaz when he submitted to a rear-naked choke in the second round. McGregor would then even the score with a majority decision win over Diaz at UFC 202 in August of that same year. The fighters have gone their separate ways since then, but the oaths of vendetta between the two factions have been a topic of debate surrounding the UFC.
With both men taking one victory each too, their two fights have been filled with entertainment, drama, and trash talk. Since both are two of the most famous names in MMA history, a trilogy fight is not only more than necessary from a competitive point of view but would almost certainly turn out to be an event that could threaten UFC records.
Terence Crawford, Jake Paul, and UFC politricks
Drawing Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz back together again would be a dream but there’s a fair bit in the way of that happening. Diaz also mentioned his desire to face the pound-for-pound boxing king Terence Crawford, one that might potentially push back his comeback inside the Octagon as well. Crawford has been in multiple major boxing bouts and was linked with a $200 million offer for McGregor to fight him. Yet Crawford’s penchant for sticking to his bread and butter in the Octagon could compel him to turn his attention back toward boxing instead, which would give Diaz or McGregor that aforementioned score to settle.
In addition, McGregor has been delayed returning to the UFC because of injuries and his fighting calendar is not set. He has also been rumored to be a potential opponent for Michael Chandler, although reports have surfaced that Chandler could very well be looking in another direction. Suffice it to say, the UFC politics surrounding contract negotiations and scheduling could make things even more complicated en route to making a trilogy come to fruition.
Demand and Revenue for Fans
A potential Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz trilogy not only has fans salivating but bettors turning plenty of green. Regardless, a trilogy bout between the two would be one of the most paid fights in UFC history as it will likely have amazing pay-per-view numbers. This has left UFC president Dana White to touch upon the scenario, with him noting that the demand for this fight is still overwhelming.
With both men having such a massive following across the globe, McGregor-Diaz III could prove to be just as big, if not bigger than their first two meetings. The UFC is a master at exploiting those circumstances, so there is big money to be made here and the dollar signs will be huge in making this fight happen.
Conclusion
For now, we can say only that the fate of a Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz trilogy is in limbo. It was about both fighters have said they are interested in, and the rivalry still simmers among fans. The circumstances surrounding McGregor coming back and Diaz crossing over into boxing do muddy things a little, but the callout further shines a light on yet another chapter in their trilogy that could materialize.
This endless rivalry in UFC history may finally come to an end in 2024, with the fans hoping that happens so they can finally see these two icons battle out one last time. Whether it takes place in the UFC or out of its purview, the desire to witness a UFC trilogy between McGregor and Diaz finds itself sprouting new roots as fight fans and the general public will have every opportunity for eyes just to see if this match-up is given a chance become more real.