Nate Diaz expresses interest in UFC return for his next fight

Nate Diaz became a mixed martial arts free agent following his submission victory over Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 279 last September. While he is set to face Jake Paul in his boxing debut over the weekend, the former lightweight title challenger had not announced if he plans to continue boxing or return to mixed martial arts after the bout.

That changed on Wednesday as Diaz, who is one of the biggest stars in the history of the UFC, spoke with Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour. When asked if his next fight will be in mixed martial arts, he stated:

"Yeah, probably. Probably. I don't know. I'm not thinking past this right now. I said I'll get that done and know what I want to do. I have ideas, but there isn't anything that I'm committed to."

When asked about his 'ideas', Diaz hinted at a return to the UFC, stating:

"It would probably either be back in the UFC or do something like this in the MMA style."

Check out Nate Diaz's comments on a potential return to the UFC below:

Nate Diaz says his next fight is "probably" going to be in MMA and mentions returning to the UFC as an option 👀 #TheMMAHour

▶️ youtube.com/watch?v=gwFqhA… pic.twitter.com/2wMXofHRYZ

While his boxing opponent, Jake Paul, has offered to face Diaz in the Professional Fighters League, he recently shared that he is not interested in joining the promotion. He did note, however, that he would be open to a mixed martial arts bout with 50-50 split with his promotion, Real Fight Inc.

If the former lightweight title challenger returns to the UFC, a long-awaited, highly-anticipated trilogy bout against Conor McGregor seems to be a likely option. Diaz handed 'The Notorious' the first loss of his UFC career when he landed a second-round submission at UFC 196. The former double champ bounced back at UFC 202 with a majority decision victory.

Nate Diaz weighs in on Francis Ngannou's UFC departure

Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou were two of the biggest stars in the UFC, however, both have left the promotion over the past year. While the former is set to face Jake Paul in a boxing match, the latter will face WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury later this year.

Diaz weighed in on the former heavyweight champion's departure from the UFC, stating:

"I'm happy that he's happy and making some money. Whatever he wants to do, that's cool. If you're a fighter, especially the heavyweight champion of the world, you should do whatever you want to do."

Check out Nate Diaz's comments on Francis Ngannou below (starting at the 14:50 mark):

While the exact figures that Ngannou will make to face Fury are unclear, he is reportedly set to make more than he did in all of his UFC fights combined. Additionally, he will reportedly receive $20 million from the PFL after joining the mixed martial arts promotion.