Nate Diaz pleads with Conor McGregor to settle trilogy: 'Nobody else to fight'

Nate Diaz has made his stance clear regarding a possible UFC comeback: it’s an old rival or bust.

Diaz wants to settle the score with former two-division champion Conor McGregor, as the pair sits dead even at one fight apiece, dating to Aug. 2016 when McGregor exacted revenge on the Stockton, California native by majority decision in the main event of UFC 202 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Diaz beat McGregor in a huge upse — March 5, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Nate Diaz celebrates after his victory during UFC 196 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Diaz submitted McGregor at UFC 196 in March of that same year. It was McGregor’s first loss in the promotion.

The UFC left the series alone after McGregor went on to box Floyd Mayweather Jr. a year later, while the remainder of Diaz's career was a mixed bag after the second fight.

Nearly a decade removed from their last fight, Diaz says that, despite his advancing age, he can deliver the proper trilogy that MMA fans have been waiting for.

Will McGregor And Diaz Run It Back?

Diaz opened about the fight on an episode of “Out Cold.”

“There ain’t nobody else to fight, really, right now,” Diaz said. “I would like for him to come back and impress everybody first. Not that he needs to, but it would be great to see him back.”

Diaz appears discontent with the way the MMA community views McGregor, saying a fight against him may change the narrative after all.

McGregor-Diaz is 1- — Jul 10, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor fights Dustin Poirier during UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“Everybody’s hating on him,” Diaz said. “I’d like to beat up somebody on top of the world, and I think he’s got the capability to do that.”

A win against McGregor has Diaz thinking much bigger, even possibly convincing the UFC to fight its lightweight champion, Ilia Topuria.

“Then that little Ilia Topuria, he’s doing a really good job,” Diaz said. “He’s a little small for me, but those two are probably the best fights.”

Diaz has toyed with the idea of a return to MMA but hasn’t pulled the trigger. Whether he does, however, remains to be seen.

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