Conor McGregor is 'not fighting this year' so Nate Diaz must look elsewhere says Michael Bisping
With Conor McGregor still injured, Nate Diaz is on the lookout for an opponent. Diaz recently called out Michael Chandler following his massive knockout win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 274, and Michael Bisping is giving that matchup his seal of approval.
In his latest YouTube video, Bisping prefaced his talk on Chandler vs. Diaz by stating there's no way Diaz vs. McGregor 3 is going to happen. He said:
"Nate Diaz is waiting in the wings. Nate Diaz is waiting to part company with the UFC. He famously has one fight left on his contract, that's why he ain't gonna fight Conor because Conor is not fighting this year. So what do they do with him? Well, Michael Chandler is calling for a fight and so is Nate Diaz. Nate Diaz said 'UFC got me on ice for a year now, Chandler's obviously ready to fight. Send a contract, it's time. July 30th, 170 pounds.'"
UFC got me on ice for a year now chandlers obviously ready to fight send a contract it’s time https://t.co/YJBWEu790F
"And knowing Michael Chandler, he'll probably take that fight. He'll probably take that fight. Because that's who he is and he's offered nothing but excitement ever since he signed with the UFC, so well done. And I do hope that fight happens. I would have liked to see the McGregor-Diaz rubber match before they went their separate ways, but still, doesn't look like it's going to happen."
Watch Michael Bisping break down Nate Diaz vs. Michael Chandler below:
Conor McGregor may not even be in the USADA testing pool at the moment
Eagle-eyed UFC fans noticed months ago that Conor McGregor hasn't submitted a USADA drug test in months. That's a pretty unusual state of affairs, considering Conor McGregor has been extensively tested by USADA over the years, including eleven times in 2021.
Five months into 2022, and the official USADA site has McGregor with zero tests for the year. Henry Cejudo, who re-entered the USADA program in March and has already been tested twice, took to Twitter to suggest "The Notorious" isn't currently part of the USADA pool. He wrote:
"Come on in, the water's fine!"
Come on in, the water's fine! @TheNotoriousMMA #TheReturn #McTapper twitter.com/AndyHickeyMMA/…
While some fans may speculate on why 'The Notorious' removed himself from the USADA testing pool, the solid issue relates to timing. All fighters must spend six months being tested by USADA before they're allowed to compete in the UFC.
If McGregor isn't in the USADA program at this moment in May, then he won't be able to fight until mid-November at the earliest.