Nate Diaz on UFC Return, Conor McGregor Trilogy Fight in BKFC

Conor McGregor slayer Nate Diaz is asked about a potential move to BKFC and another UFC run.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Nate Diaz is more than willing to fight Conor McGregor again, but it has to be on his terms.

The UFC superstars left their series all tied at 1-1 inside the Octagon, with Diaz taking the first fight by submission and McGregor the rematch in a closely-contested majority decision.

Eight years later, McGregor and Diaz have yet to settle the score, with a window of opportunity slowly but surely closing with McGregor's promotional contract up in two fights and Diaz's already up as of two years ago, now a free agent.

McGregor could enjoy the fruits of free agency soon as well, but for the time being, the Irish fighter had turned promoter as a part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. McGregor's touted a "player-manager" role in the company for a while, willing to take the gloves off in his fighting future.

UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Diaz Rules Out BKFC For McGregor Trilogy: "I'd Like Him In A Real Fight..."

Longtime rival Diaz says he's a fan of BKFC, too, witnessing the action with David Feldman at a show earlier this year, but the UFC veteran prefers to fight McGregor inside the cage than in the ring.

"I wouldn't like to fight him in the bare knuckle fight, though," Diaz told Jamal Niaz, when asked if he'd rematch McGregor bare-knuckle. "I'd like him in a real fight because we got history there and we gotta finish what we gotta do and that's a real fight. It's the whole package.

Lacing up the boxing gloves his last two bouts against Jake Paul and Jorge Masvidal, Diaz, 39, hasn't competed in MMA since submitting Tony Ferguson's on a days' notice back at UFC 279 in 2022.

It was nothing but the four-ounce gloves for Ferguson in a 15-year UFC career, and while that changed with free agency, Diaz isn't planning on trading the gloves for BKFC anytime soon.

"I don't think I'm fighting anybody bare knuckle because someone buzzed me in the face with a bare knuckle, I'm dipping them on the ass and f****** them up," Diaz said.

Ex-UFC star Nate Diaz. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

UFC Comeback?

With nothing scheduled for Diaz (21-13) at the moment, who knows what the future could hold for the UFC fan-favorite?

Stockton's Diaz hasn't abandoned the idea of a second run in the UFC, but in his eyes there aren't many matchups that jump off the page for him other than a long-awaited trilogy with Conor McGregor.

"The thing that interests me in the UFC, would be just somebody who's doing something good," Diaz said of potential opponents for UFC return. "There are not a lot of names in the UFC right now, but I feel like they're coming. There's nobody [that stands out for me]. They're all whack. When somebody good is coming in and doing something, I'm coming back and f****** them up."

Once a former title challenger, Nate Diaz has exchanged wins and losses in the UFC, fighting some of the UFC's biggest and baddest names for more than a decade.

Former UFC star Nate Diaz. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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