Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz III: Coach hints fight could happen soon
A RUBBER match between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz is a fight many mixed martial arts fans are hopeful happens in 2018.
Conor McGregor (L) and Nate Diaz (R) square off at the first UFC 202 pre-fight press conference
McGregor and Diaz, 29 and 32 respectively, had two epic fights with one another in 2016.
Their first bout took place in the main event of UFC 196, a card which was supposed to see McGregor take on then-lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos and attempt to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously.
Diaz, the Ultimate Fighter season five winner, went into the fight as the overwhelming underdog due to the fact he stepped in for dos Anjos on 11 days notice.
Despite having the odds stacked against him, Diaz emphatically ended McGregor’s 15-fight unbeaten run with a second-round rear-naked choke.
McGregor avenged his first UFC loss a few months later in the win event of UFC 202, defeating Diaz via majority decision.
A trilogy fight between the pair is high on many MMA fan’s wish list for 2018 but is currently up in the air.
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz almost clash before big rematch
Will do again ,the trilogy
During an appearance on the Outside of The Box podcast earlier this month, Diaz cast doubt over a series decided with McGregor by saying: “Time will tell. I don’t know right now. There’s talk.
"They (the UFC) call me, we talk about things, but I think what’s happening is they want me to ask, and beg, and I don’t need nothing from nobody. I don’t need nothing from anybody.”
Diaz may have his doubts over a third fight coming to fruition, but the same can’t be said of his boxing coach Richard Perez.
Richard Perez's most recent Instagram post
On Boxing Day, Perez posted a series of pictures from McGregor vs Diaz 1 to his official Instagram page.
One of the accompanying captions read: “Will do again ,the trilogy.”
At this moment in time, the chances of Diaz being the man to welcome McGregor back to the Octagon are very slim.
Nate Diaz submits Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 196
The UFC brass are keen on having McGregor defend his lightweight title against interim 155lbs champion Tony Ferguson in the spring.
McGregor, 21-3 hasn't set foot inside the Octagon since his historic UFC 205 victory over Eddie Alvarez, a triumph which saw him become the fighter in the promotion's history to hold two titles simultaneously.