Chael Sonnen: Nate Diaz Is Going To Fight Conor McGregor In December
Conor McGregor called out Nate Diaz several times during his Mayweather press tour and clearly has the trilogy fight in his mind. According to MMA veteran Chael Sonnen, he has inside knowledge that Diaz will be Conor’s next fight.
The rivals are currently 1-1 in two blockbuster fights in the UFC, and Conor recently demanded that they settle the score in the lightweight division.
Chael Sonnen also speculates that Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather may have a rematch due to the potential revenue. However, Sonnen says that he would prefer to see a Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor rubber match in December.
Nate has stated in the past that he will not return to the UFC until he gets the McGregor fight. Now that it is likely, Nate is going to be seeking a bigger payday than the first two fights. His boxing coach, Richard Perez, stated that Nate deserves to make about $20 million to $30 million for the trilogy fight. However, it is unclear whether Nate will actually demand this figure.
It seems unlikely that Nate will make upwards of $20 million because Conor McGregor is estimated to have made about $10 million per fight when his PPV share is included.
UFC president Dana White has alluded to paying Conor McGregor a lot more following his blockbuster bout with Floyd Mayweather.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEJ7PKj7-Aw
While many personalities in the MMA community speculated that Conor will retire after his big payday with Floyd Mayweather, several members of Team McGregor have stated that he has no plans on retiring anytime soon.
Conor McGregor has expressed an interest in fighting in the UFC this year. And with Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson fighting for the interim title at UFC 216, it gives Conor and Nate enough time for the trilogy fight.
Nate will likely challenge McGregor for his lightweight belt, and the winner of the bout will face the victor of Kevin Lee and Tony Ferguson.
In the first two fights, Nate Diaz made a disclosed payout of $2.5 million, which doesn’t include fight night bonuses and sponsors. Diaz likely received a percentage of PPV points in the second fight and possibly in the first. Therefore, his earnings for the two fights could be in the $5 million to 10 million range.
All signs are pointing to the trilogy fight, but it has yet to be announced.
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
[Featured Image by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images]
