Fighting matches between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor have been one of the most anticipated and entertaining matches. Both fighters last faced each other in the ring in 2016 and fans have been desperately waiting to see the two return in the ring together.
Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor Rivalry
Recently, Nate Diaz appeared on Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk podcast where he talked about facing Conor McGregor again. He told the host, Bradley that he wanted a rematch right after their last match.
“Me and [Conor McGregor] should be fighting.”
“At some point, our time will come. Everything’s about timing. I used get mad about a lot of s***. I wanted a rematch right after when I gave him the rematch.”
Diaz’s comments about wanting to face McGregor again have certainly sparked some interest among UFC fans. It is certain that the fans would love to see the two fight it out for one last time in the octagon to settle the 1-1 score.
Where It All Started?
In 2015, McGregor was a well-established personality in the MMA world. He had taken down Dennis Siver with a second-round TKO for a featherweight title bout against Jose Aldo. He became the interim featherweight title champion before facing Aldo at UFC 194.
The Irishman proved his worth by delivering the fastest knockout in UFC history in just 13 seconds. After bagging the title, he announced that his next mission is to get hold of the lightweight championship.
In 2016, McGregor was set to face Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196 for the lightweight championship title. Due to a foot fracture, Anjos had to withdraw from the fight and UFC looked for a replacement for McGregor’s opponent. With just 11 days to the fight, UFC contacted Stockton native, Nate Diaz to face McGregor.
When the day finally arrived, McGregor and Diaz finally faced each other in the octagon at UFC 196. McGregor started the first bout very strong delivering powerful punches to Diaz.
However, Diaz played the fight mentally, where he waited for McGregor to exhaust himself by going too fast too early and took advantage of his tiredness in the second bout. McGregor ended up losing the fight via submission and Diaz delivered his memorable quote, “I’m not surprised motherf****!”
After the bitter loss, McGregor demanded a rematch which was scheduled for UFC 200. He trained hard to face Diaz in the ring again and was avoiding media appearances. After UFC President Dana White demanded McGregor to partake in the pre-match press conference, he refused and announced his retirement.
I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya's later.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016
Nevertheless, Conor McGregor decided to re-evaluate his decision and was then announced to face Nate Diaz in a headliner match at UFC 202. This time, McGregor did not repeat his mistakes and played it cool against the Stockton fighter.
The “Notorious MMA” went for Diaz’s lead leg and weakened it with hits until Diaz lost his balance. McGregor took the opportunity to deliver blow after blow until Diaz couldn’t take it anymore.
The Irishman was declared a winner after five hard and nail-biting rounds and taunted Diaz with, “Surprise, surprise, motherf******! The king is back!”
Diaz will return to the ring on August 5 facing YouTube sensation Jake Paul at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas, Texas. Whereas, McGregor is set to make his return in the octagon against Michael Chandler.
