Dana White responds to Nate Diaz saying that he’s ready to fight again.
UFC fan favorite Nate Diaz is ready to return to the Octagon, and Dana White can’t wait to make him an offer.
Speaking to TMZ Sports in a recent interview, head promoter White ruled out Diaz challenging Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title but entertained the possibility of a trilogy bout with Conor McGregor.
White, though, says McGregor vs. Diaz III isn’t a main priority and takes second place to ‘The Notorious’ defending his lightweight title against the winner of the upcoming fight between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 on April 7.
“I’ll tell ya what, I’ll call him today and make him an offer. I will make Nate Diaz an offer to fight today,” White said on Wednesday.
“I think people would rather see Conor come back and either fight Tony [Ferguson] or Khabib [Nurmagomedov] — whoever wins — and the Nate Diaz fight isn’t going anywhere. We can do that thing any time.”
Diaz, 32, became the first man to beat McGregor under the UFC banner, submitting the Irishman with a rear-naked choke in a short notice welterweight tilt at UFC 196. The Californian hasn’t fought since he dropped a majority decision to McGregor in their blockbuster rematch at UFC 202.
Nate, like his older brother Nick Diaz, has typically been one of the most difficult fighters to negotiate with and will only return for what he feels to be a worthy fight.
It’s unlikely that Diaz will return for anything less than a rematch with McGregor or a lightweight title bout against the winner of Ferguson vs. Khabib. UFC 223, which features Ferguson-Nurmagomedov as the main event, takes place on April 7 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.