5 potential fights for Nate Diaz if he returns to the UFC feat Conor McGregor and Max Holloway
One of the UFC's biggest stars could, apparently, be on his way back to the octagon. In a recent interview, Nate Diaz has stated that he'd love to return to the promotion, if they'll have him.
The chances are that the UFC would welcome Nate Diaz back with open arms due to his star power - but who could he face in his comeback?
Unsurprisingly for a fighter like Diaz, there won't be any shortage of potential opponents waiting for him.
With that in mind, here are five potential opponents for Nate Diaz if he returns to the UFC.
#5. Nate Diaz vs. Max Holloway
In the recent interview that saw Nate Diaz suggest he'd like to return to the UFC, he also named a handful of opponents he'd like to face.
While a couple were unrealistic - there's no way Diaz will be fighting Ilia Topuria any time soon - Max Holloway is definitely a name that might make some sense.
Firstly, like Diaz, 'Blessed' is a fighter who's shown willingness to take on anyone at any time. While he's never fought at a higher weight than 155 pounds, there's no doubt that he'd probably be open to take on Diaz at 170 pounds.
Secondly, Holloway is the current holder of the UFC's 'BMF' title. Assuming he holds onto it when he faces Dustin Poirier in the summer, a defense against Diaz would definitely be cool, especially as the Stockton-based legend was involved in the inaugural fight for it.
Add in the fact that Holloway might be just about past his best at this point - and would meet Diaz in the kind of firefight he loves - and this one could be an instant classic.
#4. Nate Diaz vs. Michael Chandler
April saw Michael Chandler suffer arguably the biggest defeat of his UFC career when he was well-beaten by Paddy Pimblett in somewhat of an upset.
The general consensus on 'Iron' now seems to be that he simply waited out for too long hoping for a fight with Conor McGregor that never materialized. At the age of 39, his time near the top of the UFC may be waning.
However, the former Bellator champion still has a big name that carries weight with casual fans, and that might make him a perfect opponent for Nate Diaz to return to the octagon against.
'Iron Mike' has the punching power to be a very dangerous foe for Diaz, but he also fights with the kind of style that, historically, Diaz has done well against.
Naturally, the question here would be one of weight, as Diaz clearly stated in his recent interview that he would never attempt to cut to 155 pounds again. Chandler, in comparison, has never fought higher than that.
However, Chandler was more than willing to move to 170 pounds to fight McGregor, and so surely the same thing would stand for a Diaz fight. Either way, this bout would produce fireworks and chaos, and would definitely be great to watch.
#3. Nate Diaz vs. Israel Adesanya
On the face of it, a fight between Nate Diaz and Israel Adesanya sounds like it makes absolutely no sense. Look below the surface, though, and it actually begins to sound pretty good.
Firstly, Adesanya is no longer the top-level elite middleweight he was a few years back. 'The Last Stylebender' has now lost three fights in a row, and hasn't won since beating Alex Pereira in April 2023. He also turns 36 years old this summer.
With that considered, there's a very real chance that Adesanya has quietly moved into the twilight of his career, even if he's still one of the UFC's biggest stars.
Secondly, while he's fought as high as 205 pounds and would hold a big size advantage over Diaz, the Stockton-based fighter is, at heart, a prize fighter.
Going in against a superstar like Adesanya, then, with absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain sounds exactly like the crazy sort of thing Nate Diaz would love to do.
Is this fight likely to happen? Perhaps not, as 'The Last Stylebender' may still have designs on getting back into title contention.
However, if he's looking for a fun "money fight", he could do much worse than face Diaz.
#2. Nate Diaz vs. Colby Covington
Given his age, wear-and-tear and the fact that he hasn't fought in the octagon since 2022, it probably wouldn't be fair to throw Nate Diaz in with a fighter in their prime.
However, one big name who is arguably now past his prime and could definitely work as a foe for Diaz is Colby Covington.
'Chaos' has not won a fight since beating Jorge Masvidal in March 2022, and he looked a shadow of his former self in his losses to Leon Edwards and more recently, Joaquin Buckley.
While he is now miles out of the welterweight title picture, though, the former interim champion is definitely one of the biggest names in the division.
To add to this, Covington would almost be guaranteed to bring some serious verbal warfare to the table in a potential bout with Diaz, likely turning it into a huge spectacle with casual fans.
Sure, there'd be the chance that Covington could frustrate fans by simply wrestling Diaz to a decision, but given Diaz's grappling skills, he may struggle to do that.
When you add in the fact that Covington mentioned a potential fight with Diaz - or his brother Nick - as recently as last month, this is a fight that the UFC should definitely consider.
#1. Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor
Naturally, the biggest money fight on the table for Nate Diaz should he return to the UFC would be a third fight with Conor McGregor.
Fans have salivated over the idea of the two men finally ending their trilogy for years now, dating back to their initial rivalry in 2016.
That year saw Diaz and 'The Notorious' famously split two fights, with Diaz submitting McGregor in March and the Irishman avenging his defeat in an instant classic that August.
The second fight drew an estimated 1.6 million buys on pay-per-view, a number only bettered by McGregor's clash with Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018.
There would be, of course, a number of hurdles to jump in order to book the trilogy fight. The biggest one would be the status of McGregor.
'The Notorious' has not fought now since the summer of 2021, and his status with the UFC is very much up in the air after he withdrew from a bout with Michael Chandler on multiple occasions.
However, if the Irishman could be tempted back into the fold, this is a fight that would make sense. It wouldn't be as risky for McGregor as a clash with a prime contender would be, but it'd still make him plenty of money.
Would the fight sell as well as the first two did? Despite both men arguably being past their best, they still have bigger names than most in MMA and it'd be an easy sell based on the quality of the second fight.
Therefore, if Diaz does return to the UFC, Dana White should look to make this fight in a heartbeat.