When Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz faced off for their second bout in the octagon, the fight shattered all gate records. It was one of the most anticipated matchups of 2016, and McGregor’s rising stardom only added to the hype. With both fighters having fought twice and the score tied at 1-1, Diaz’s coach is now pushing for a trilogy fight between McGregor and Diaz.
At UFC 202, Diaz and McGregor drew a crowd of 15,539, generating a gate of $7,692,010, making it the fifth highest in UFC history. Fans are eagerly awaiting McGregor’s return to the octagon, while Diaz has been absent from MMA competition since leaving the UFC. Despite this, Diaz’s longtime coach, Jake Shields, who has been with the team for over a decade, recently spoke with Tim Welch in an interview. Shields highlighted that a trilogy fight between McGregor and Diaz remains a “huge” event that people still want to see. He remarked,
“Nate is a superstar. I don’t know if Conor is ready to fight again, but Nate and Conor is the fight that makes sense again. That would just be a massive fight the fans want to see. Some people could knock it saying Conor has lost his last couple of fights. But its still a marquee super fight. Sometimes that is what is important.”
McGregor and Diaz never had the chance to complete their trilogy before Diaz’s UFC contract expired in 2022. Additionally, McGregor sustained a leg injury during his fight with Dustin Poirier and hasn’t competed in the UFC since that loss in July 2021. Despite this, McGregor remains a sought-after opponent, with many fighters in the UFC still eager to face the Irish star.
Dan Hooker Set To Call Out Conor McGregor For A UFC Fight Soon
Originally, McGregor was to make his return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but a toe injury forced him to withdraw. Since then, Chandler has moved on and booked a fight with Charles Oliveira. Despite this, McGregor continues to have a long list of possible challengers. One of those contenders, Dan Hooker, is eager to convince McGregor to face him. Hooker hopes to run into McGregor at the BKFC event on October 12.
In a recent interview, Hooker expressed his intentions: “Obviously, my eyes are on the title and I know that I’ve got a big fight coming up next. But I am actually heading over to the Bareknuckle Fighting Championships in Spain next week, which, Conor McGregor happens to own. So by the end of next week. I hopefully get a chance to either just have a word with him and see if he is interested in the fight.”
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Following his impressive win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305, ‘The Hangman’ is now left without a higher-ranked opponent. He’s also expressed interest in facing Conor McGregor, though it’s unclear if the Irish fighter will accept the challenge.
