Nate Diaz has publicly expressed his strong disinterest in serving as a comeback opponent for former UFC double champion Conor McGregor, confirming he declined a potential trilogy fight against him. Diaz emphatically stated, “I’m nobody’s comeback story.”
After a four-year hiatus from mixed martial arts, Diaz is preparing for his highly anticipated return to the cage. He is scheduled to face Mike Perry on May 16 in Los Angeles, an event broadcast on MVP and Netflix, which is also set to feature Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano.
Meanwhile, McGregor, who has been out of action for nearly five years, is also expected to make his own return in July during International Fight Week.
Diaz Explains Why He Turned Down a Potential McGregor Trilogy
Previously, there were widespread rumors that McGregor’s return might finally bring about the long-awaited third fight between him and Diaz, aiming to settle their 1-1 score. However, Diaz, a native of Stockton, recently clarified his current lack of interest in revisiting the rivalry with McGregor.
During a recent discussion with Theo Von, Diaz shared his perspective, suggesting that a fight between him and “The Notorious” will eventually occur, but only “when the time is right.” He specified that such a bout should happen when “we’re both on the uprise, not when someone’s dying out.” Diaz stressed that he has no intention of being McGregor’s stepping stone, preferring to face the Irishman once he has overcome his period of inactivity and his current two-fight losing streak.
Diaz elaborated on his stance, stating:
“Me and Conor will fight again when the time is right, but it’s going to be when we’re both on the uprise, not when someone’s dying out. I’m not nobody’s comeback story.”
“They [UFC] wanted me to come back and fight Conor McGregor, not [Charles] Oliveira. And they were like, okay, we want you to come back and maybe later we can do that. You know who is doing a good job, almost close to the same amount offer – Mike Perry, who’s the most violent mf. I’m more enthusiastic to get up and running and get ready to train for this mf who’s going to knock me out, or I’m gonna knock him out.”
This statement underscores Diaz’s preference for a challenging opponent like Perry over being positioned as a convenient opponent for McGregor’s return, highlighting his desire for a competitive fight on equal footing.
