Former UFC star Nate Diaz is confident that he will close out his trilogy with Conor McGregor in the future.
The pair gave MMA fans one of the best rivalries in the sport and left the score even at one win-a-piece. Diaz won their first meeting by submission in 2016 before McGregor scored a majority decision in the rematch later that year.
During the press tour for his upcoming boxing match with another former UFC star, Jorge Masvidal, Diaz guaranteed he would fight the Irishman again.
‘I 100% guarantee I’m going to fight Conor McGregor again,’ Diaz told media in Las Vegas.
Like Diaz, McGregor has been adamant about booking a third fight against the Stockton native.
Nate Diaz ‘100 percent guaranteed’ that he will fight Conor McGregor again in the future
Diaz submitted McGregor in 2016 before the latter won their rematch via majority decision
McGregor pitched closing the trilogy in the Sphere on Mexican Independence Day weekend
The former two-division champion brought up the idea of fighting Diaz at the Sphere in Las Vegas for the UFC’s Mexican Independence Day weekend card. However, UFC CEO Dana White shut down the idea.
Additionally, Diaz believes he will run it back with Jake Paul and UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, whom he lost to in boxing and MMA, respectively. Diaz also believes he will rematch Masvidal in MMA after Gamebred won the inaugural BMF title match in Madison Square Garden in 2019.
‘That is my hit list,’ he added.
Diaz left the UFC at the end of his contract in 2022. On the other hand, Masvidal is still under contractual ties with the organization despite retiring from MMA last year.
Diaz is gearing up to box Jorge Masvidal, whom he lost to in the UFC in 2019, on June 1
Diaz also believes he will rematch UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards and Jake Paul
After leaving the UFC as a free agent in 2022, Diaz lost to Paul in his pro boxing debut
When Diaz left the UFC, he did not think anything ‘cool’ was happening in the promotion. However, nearly two years after his departure, he praised Edwards as the ‘best thing’ in the UFC.
‘The coolest thing right now from the UFC is Leon Edwards,’ Diaz said. ‘That’s what I got my sights on. I like that fight right now. I think he’s doing great. I think he got better, and he’s doing better. Good attitude, good fighter. I think he’s probably the best thing in the UFC right now.’
After his boxing debut loss to Paul in August, Diaz will welcome Masvidal into the squared circle for his freshman effort in boxing on June 1. The two will box at the Forum in Inglewood, California, in a 175lb, 10-round bout.