Nate Diaz Not Interested ‘At All’ In Conor McGregor Trilogy Fight
UFC 241’s Nate Diaz has no interest in facing Conor McGregor in a lucrative trilogy fight.
In a rare interview, Diaz spoke to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani on Monday (June 3, 2019), claiming he was only interested in fighting winners (via ESPN):
“I’m not interested in it at all,” Diaz said. “I’m interested in winners. He lost his last fight, and I won my last fight. You think I’m trying to fight someone who just got his a*s beat all over the place? I’m a black belt in jiu-jitsu. That sh*t wouldn’t happen to me.”
Diaz has not fought since his majority decision loss to McGregor at UFC 202 in 2016 – a bout he, as well as others, believes he should have won. Since then, McGregor would go on to win the lightweight title against Eddie Alvarez. However, he would lose to Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match before getting submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov this past October:
“[The UFC] were dissing me, saying I f*cking turned down fights,” Diaz explained. “I was like, ‘Dude, what are you talking about?’ You’re giving this guy [McGregor] the world, and you’re putting this guy down. That’s why I haven’t been fighting. Why would I work for you while you’re over here playing me?
“Three years went by and then they start expecting me to start screaming for f*cking Conor as soon as he loses? Nah, dude, I won that last fight. I’ll fight Khabib. Then Khabib is playing like I have to win something to get to him. I’m like, ‘What are you talking about, dude? You have to win to get to me. I slapped you.'”
Diaz Only Wants Interesting Fights
The Stockton native is also done with the lightweight division, as his next bout will be at welterweight again. As for his next opponent in Anthony Pettis, Diaz is a fan of “Showtime” and has no problems with him despite some hostilities:
“I think it is the best fight,” he added (via Sherdog). “He is coming off of a good win and he’s one of the top guys, one of the better guys in the division. Most entertaining fighter in the UFC, I like that.
“It’s a guy I actually enjoy watching over the rest of these fighters. Everyone is getting boring, the fight game. If I’m going to take part in any fights, I want a fight that is interesting to not only me but to the fight fan. If I’m a fight fan I want to see an interesting fight, not a boring fight.”
UFC 241 takes place August 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
