Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor will likely settle the score with a trilogy bout in the lightweight division on the last UFC PPV event in December. Conor McGregor went 10 rounds of boxing with Floyd Mayweather in his first professional fight.
He was defeated by Mayweather via technical knockout and the fight has drawn mixed reviews. Some critics cite McGregor’s lack of experience fighting an all-time great, while others praised the event for McGregor’s effort and its entertainment value.
Nate Diaz was in attendance where Conor McGregor talked about his interest in the trilogy fight. When asked about fighting Diaz, Conor responded with the following.
“100-percent. I am the 155-pound champion. I faced him at 170, he beat me. Then I rematched him at 170, I beat him. Now I’m the 155-pound world champion, now if he wants that fight, he must come down so that’s a fair trade.”
Nate Diaz has fought most of his career at lightweight, and the 155-pound division may be beneficial to both fighters.
The winner of Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor 3 will face the winner of Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee in a lightweight unification bout if the fights go as planned. Injuries and weight-cutting issues have kept No. 1 lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov from fighting Ferguson.
Nate Diaz boxing coach Richard Perez told Submission Radio that Nate should be paid around $20 to $30 million for the trilogy bout. Diaz and McGregor’s first two fights at UFC 196 and UFC 202 reportedly hold the record for the two highest PPV events in the UFC.
Nate has stated that he prefers fighting at lightweight where he feels he would be faster. The first fight took place at 170 because the then lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos pulled out of the scheduled bout with McGregor and Nate was the late replacement. He did not have time to cut down to 155 pounds and Conor agreed to fight the TUF winner at welterweight.
The trilogy fight is yet to be announced, and Nate has proven to be a tough negotiator. McGregor’s cardio issues were in the spotlight at the Floyd Mayweather fight. The UFC lightweight champion admitted that it is an issue he will need to correct going forward.
Nate Diaz is known for his cardio and gave McGregor trouble in their two fights when the Irish superstar began to slow down.
Who do you think will win the trilogy bout?
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[Featured Image by Steve Marcus/Getty Images]
