UFC news: Dana White is open to the prospect of a Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz trilogy fight , but indicates the ball is one of the fighter’s courts.
In a recent interview with ESPN, UFC president White explained from his perspective, the option for a third fight between McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Diaz (20-13 MMA, 18-12 UFC) isn’t going away. However, Diaz needs to be in for it to happen.
“(It’s) always there, that fight could happen. You could make that fight. There are a lot of fights you could make for Nate Diaz. But Nate has to want that fight.” ” White said.
Neither McGregor nor Diaz has a publicly-known fight on the books as things currently stand. However, the UFC did reportedly extend Diaz’s promotional agreement recently after he turned down a fight, according to veteran MMA reporter Ariel Helwani.
Meanwhile, McGregor is still on the mends as he works toward a full recovery from a leg injury suffered at UFC 264 in his July trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. His coach, John Kavanagh, recently told that the Irish superstar is on target to return in early summer 2022.
McGregor and Diaz have competed against one another twice before with the lifetime series split at one win per fighter. In December 2015 at UFC 196, Diaz “shook up the world” when he became the first man to defeat McGregor in the UFC.
In August 2016, the two met once again, this time at UFC 202. The rematch went McGregor’s way as he won a majority decision.