Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor have a storied history. They’ve fought twice with each winning one.
Diaz stepped up on 10-days notice to face McGregor at UFC 196 in March 2016 after McGregor’s original opponent then-lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos was a forced out due to a broken foot. Diaz submitted McGregor, handing the Irishman his first UFC loss.
The two rematched five months later at UFC 202. McGregor avenged the loss, defeating Diaz via majority decision. Neither Diaz nor McGregor are still competing in the UFC although McGregor remains under contract with the fight promotion. If Diaz had his choice, McGregor would be his next opponent.
“If I could fight anybody right now I would fight, with all due respect to them, if Conor McGregor came back and did some f**king sh*t. Conor McGregor. There ain’t nobody else to fight really right now,” Diaz said on Out Cold with Chuck Liddell.
“I would like for him to come back and impress everybody first. Not that he needs to, but it would be good to see him back. Everybody is hating on him and I’d like to beat up somebody on top of the world and I think he’s got the capability to do that.”
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McGregor last fought at UFC 264 four years ago in July 2021, losing to Dustin Poirier after suffering a broken leg in the final seconds of the opening round. He’s teased an octagon return several times and was expected to face Michael Chandler in the UFC 303 main event in June 2024.
The two coached opposite each other on The Ultimate Fighter 31, but McGregor pulled out of the fight citing a toe injury.
The Irishman has rejuvenated speculation of a return by re-entering the anti-doping testing pool after President Donald Trump announced plans to host a UFC event on the White House grounds in 2026.
