Conor McGregor a potential next opponent for Nick Diaz, claims coach - "I think it would be insane"
Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz’s longtime coach Cesar Gracie has picked Conor McGregor as the older Diaz brother’s ideal next opponent. Speaking to Submission Radio, Gracie asserted that a fight between Nick Diaz and Conor McGregor would be “insane.”
The younger Diaz brother, Nate Diaz, has faced ‘The Notorious’ twice in the past. They’re currently tied at one win apiece. The Diaz-McGregor trilogy matchup has been one of the most highly-anticipated fights ever since.
However, Nate Diaz is expected to leave the UFC this year. Diaz will compete in the final fight of his UFC contract and face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279 on September 11th.
Cesar Gracie, for his part, has emphasized that he’d love to see both Diaz brothers fight McGregor. In regards to a potential welterweight matchup between Nick Diaz and ‘The Notorious', Gracie stated:
“Oddly enough, me and my personal point of view on that is that’s the fight. I would love to see Nick and McGregor fight, 100 percent because I think it would be insane. It would be great. I think they both have respect for each other and their skills and everything. And I think it would be like an amazing fight; I do."
He added:
"But Nick is such a loyal guy to his brother, to Nate, that he looks at that as Nate’s fight. And he does not want to step on his toes. Now, if Nate turned to him and go, ‘Hey, I’m never going to fight that guy,’ type of a thing; then Nick would definitely do it.”
Furthermore, Cesar Gracie emphasized that akin to the possible Nick Diaz vs. Conor McGregor matchup, he’d also like Nate Diaz to fight McGregor.
Watch Gracie discuss the topic at 34:56 in the video below:
When Conor McGregor labeled Nick Diaz a “real fighting legend”
Despite the intense nature of Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz’s rivalry, they’ve often expressed their respect for one another as martial artists. Moreover, McGregor and Nick Diaz have largely been respectful and even praised each other’s respective fighting styles.
Yet another instance of McGregor’s respect for Nick Diaz came earlier this year. The Irishman notably tweeted regarding Diaz’s visit to the Chipsa Hospital. Diaz was at the hospital to meet cancer survivors and speak to them about staying strong and fighting fear. 'The Notorious' tweeted:
“Real fighting legend.”
Real fighting legend. twitter.com/JasJ_MMA/statu…
McGregor suffered a gruesome leg injury in his last fight that transpired in July 2021. He’s expected to return from his injury hiatus in 2023. Meanwhile, Nick Diaz last fought in September 2021. Diaz is reportedly targeting a return to the octagon this year.