Melendez: Nate Diaz Gets McGregor vs. Alvarez Winner Next

UFC 205 is on the horizon and the mixed martial arts (MMA) world is buzzing with anticipation for the ground breaking event in the sport’s history, as UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor will attempt to make history once again.

In the evening’s main event McGregor will challenge Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title in attempt to become the promotion’s first ever dual-weight champion, as the Irishman currently holds the UFC’s 145-pound title that he won via R1 knockout against Jose Aldo in December of last year. As far as a No. 1-contender goes for the 155-pound title after fight night in New York, lightweight veteran Gilbert Melendez believes his teammate Nate Diaz will get the next title opportunity.

Melendez recently spoke to Champions.co to claim that he believes his fellow Scrap Pack member Diaz will be the obvious candidate for either McGregor or Alvarez next, as he believes that is what the people want to see:

“I think [Nate] fights the winner [of Alvarez vs McGregor],” said Melendez. “We’re talking about business here and how things work … Eddie wins that fight, you know, I think Nate gets that fight. I think Conor wins that fight, I think Nate gets that fight as well.

“I mean, that’s what people want to see and that’s what fills the seats.”

McGregor and Diaz have quite the history with one another, as Diaz is the man who handed the SBG product his first career UFC loss when he tapped the featherweight champ in their welterweight main event scrap at UFC 196 in March. ‘Notorious’ would soon get his revenge, however, as he would engage in a tremendous 25-minute battle with Diaz in their rematch at UFC 202, to which the Irishman would take home the majority decision win in one of the best contests of the year.

With the standings between the two adversaries standing at one a piece at the moment, you can bet the two brash rivals want to bang it out to decide who the best fighter is once and for all.

Diaz and Alvarez have no such history with one another, but interestingly enough ‘The Underground King’ does hold a split decision win over ‘The Pride Of Stockton’s’ teammate Melendez, giving a bit of a story to that potential bout as well.

With Diaz’s new-found level of superstardom after his battles inside the Octagon with McGregor, whoever the former Ultimate Fighter winner takes on next is sure to be quite the show.