Conor McGregor has said he is ready to go to war with Nate Diaz for a third time after his win at UFC 202 on Saturday night.
The Irishman edged a thrilling bout by majority decision after five pulsating rounds in Las Vegas, Nevada, avenging his loss to Diaz at UFC 196. After his latest victory, McGregor insisted he’d be happy to complete the trilogy against the American.
“If you want this trilogy, it’s on my terms,” he said afterwards, per the Associated Press (via the Guardian). “I came up to 170 [pounds], now you’ll come back to 155, and we’ll finish what we’ve started. I knew what I had to do this time around, and I did it.”
Diaz also made his thoughts clear on a potential third tussle. “Hey, good job today, Conor, but we’re going for three,” said the Stockton fighter. “For real. Until then I ain’t coming back.”
It’s a fight plenty would like to see. The main event at UFC 202 was a contest for the ages, as both competitors put every sinew possible into securing a victory. There were spells when McGregor and Diaz were on top, respectively, but the former had an edge at critical points.
In the post-fight press conference, McGregor wouldn’t totally commit to any future plans. “There's a lot of stuff in the pipeline,” the Notorious said, per Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting. “S--t’s about to hit the fan, so we'll see.”
MMA Junkie's Chamatkar Sandu believes both fighters should take some time before completing the trilogy:
I say let Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor go their separate ways for now and bring them back for the trilogy fight at 155lbs UFC 209 Q1 2017.
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) August 21, 2016
Another fight with Diaz would raise questions about McGregor keeping hold of the featherweight title for much longer. He’s not fought in the weight class since December 2015 when he beat Jose Aldo, who is currently the interim champion. Per Helwani, the Irishman doesn’t think stripping him of the belt would be the best move by the UFC:
McGregor: I don't think they're gonna (strip). How can they do that? What would that do to the division of the guy I KO'd in 13 sec is champ
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 21, 2016
Had McGregor not got the job done here at welterweight he would have likely dropped back down to the featherweight division chastened by his foray into the heavier classes. This win over Diaz, and the manner in which it was achieved, means options will be plentiful for the Notorious.
After a thrilling rematch on Saturday night with Diaz, there will certainly be an appetite for a third showdown in the future. Both fighters will need to take time over their decision, though. The immediate aftermath of a bout, with passions still running high, is never the best time to make these critical choices.
