Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz 3: Dana White makes big statement on fight
CONOR MCGREGOR won't be having a trilogy fight with Nate Diaz anytime soon, according to UFC president Dana White.
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz face off at the first UFC 196 pre-fight press conference
McGregor and Diaz, 29 and 32 respectively, took part in two of the most memorable fights in recent UFC history in 2016.
The pair's first encounter saw Diaz, a late replacement for then-champion Rafael dos Anjos, shock the world by registering a second-round submission victory over 'The Notorious', who at the time was riding a 14-fight win streak.
McGregor was given an immediate shot at redemption a few months later in the main event of UFC 202, which had an added spice it due to a melee at the pre-fight press conference.
The Irishman was successful in his pursuit of avenging his sole loss inside the Octagon, defeating Diaz via majority decision.
Since that night at the T-Mobile Arena, many mixed martial arts fans have been dying to see pair settle their rivalry once and for all.
Speculation has been rife that McGregor's long-awaited return to the Octagon will see him take part in a rubber with The Ultimate Fighter season five winner.
But according to White, there's more chance of a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr coming to fruition than McGregor vs Diaz 3 taking place in the near future.
Trailer for Conor McGregor documentary Notorious
As of right now, I’d say Conor-Floyd (is more likely)
“I don’t know,” he told TMZ when asked which fight is more likely to happen.
“As of right now, I’d say Conor-Floyd.”
According to White, Diaz has turned down multiple fight offers and isn't keen on lacing up his gloves.
Dana White says there's no chance Nate Diaz will welcome Conor McGregor back to the Octagon
“The thing for Nate Diaz is we’ve been offering Nate Diaz fights,” he told TMZ. "He doesn’t want to fight. We’ve been offering him fights.
"Guys just don’t come out and say, ‘Yeah, I want fights’ and we don’t react
"We've been hitting him up since the last time he fought [UFC 202], offering him fights, and he's not interested in fighting."
Nate Diaz hasn't set foot inside the Octagon since losing to Conor McGregor at UFC 202
Diaz, 20-11, hasn't fought since his fiercely-contested bout with McGregor, which he still contests to this day.
McGregor, meanwhile, hasn't set foot inside the Octagon since defeating Eddie Alvarez 15 months in the main event of UFC 205.
His lengthy hiatus has resulted in the UFC brass moving forward with plans to strip him of the lightweight title.
"That's exactly right: As soon as one punch is thrown, it's on for the full title and it's only fair," White told TMZ when asked if McGregor will be stripped before the UFC 223 title fight between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
"They've both worked their way up to No. 1 and No. 2. They deserve a shot."