"I don't think he's stepping on Nate's toes at all" - 'Big' John McCarthy all for Nick Diaz vs. Conor McGregor, says trilogy between 'The Notorious' and Nate Diaz highly unlikely

Nate Diaz (left), John McCarthy (middle), Conor McGregor (right); [Photo Credits: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images]

Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz have faced off twice in the UFC. The legendary fighters have split wins from the two meetings.

In the first matchup at UFC 196, Diaz handed McGregor his first UFC loss with a second-round submission. Five months later, at UFC 202, McGregor avenged his loss by defeating Diaz via majority decision.

Both bouts won Fight of the Night, while Diaz also picked up a performance of the night bonus for his UFC 196 efforts.

With Diaz slated to take on Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279, in what could be his last UFC fight, a trilogy may be impossible. Instead, Cesar Gracie believes that McGregor could take on Nate's brother, Nick Diaz.

On his Weighing In podcast, when asked for his thoughts on the matchup suggested by the Diaz brothers' long-time coach, UFC 202 referee John McCarthy stated:

"I don't think he's stepping on Nate's toes at all because Nate's already, basically, talked about what he wants. He's going to have this last fight against Chimaev and he's out. He wants to go and do other things."

"I believe like [co-host Josh Thomson] has said forever, I think he wants to have a boxing match with Jake Paul. I think that's kind of sitting there in the wings for him. I think it's a big money maker for him, and if Nick could come back and get a fight against Conor and make good money, then go for it Nick, if that's what you to do, just, you know, commit yourself to training. I would watch, I would watch Nick against Conor anytime."

Watch McCarthy's comments on Weighing In below:

Is a Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz trilogy possible?

The likelihood of Conor McGregor fighting Nick Diaz seems unlikely. A trilogy with his brother, Nate Diaz, seems far more feasible, even with reports that the younger Diaz will leave the UFC. The potential trilogy has been one of the most anticipated matchups since the two last faced off.

the difference between pena vs nunes 3 and diaz vs mcgregor 3, is we actually want to see mcgregor vs diaz 3.

While there is always the possibility of Diaz reaching a new deal with the UFC, that doesn't seem likely, either. If that was the case, Diaz could have waited for McGregor to maximize his earning potential with a trilogy bout.

Nate Diaz could have easily waited for the Conor McGregor trilogy fight and made a boatload full of money.

Instead, he said let me fight Khamzat Chimaev.

This isn’t an act. Nate Diaz is about that life. https://t.co/HuYd7iNcqP

Instead, as John McCarthy has previously suggested, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz could opt for a boxing match. Diaz, a soon-to-be free-agent, has shown interest in boxing. McGregor, allowed by his contract to box, knows first-hand the earning potential in boxing due to his fight against Floyd Mayweather.

Even if Diaz does leave the UFC, it likely won't be the last we hear of a potential trilogy between him and McGregor. Whether the matchup takes place in an octagon or boxing ring, the pair will be linked until they meet again, or one fighter retires.

Do also check out the video below on the weirdest rules in MMA: