UFC President Dana White has said there will be no trilogy of fights between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz after noting he’s “moving on.”
Both fighters expressed an interest in a third match after McGregor’s decision win against Diaz at UFC 202 on Saturday, but White told TMZ Sports: “The war was fun and super successful, but I’m movin’ on.”
Diaz famously handed The Notorious his first defeat in the promotion at UFC 196 back in March, but McGregor exacted revenge for that loss after sealing a majority-decision victory in Las Vegas last Saturday.
Furthermore, White reiterated to UFC host Megan Olivi that Diaz and McGregor would not get a third bite at the apple immediately, noting his desire to turn attention elsewhere, per Bloody Elbow:
Yeah, um… We’re definitely not doing this a third time right now. Um, I mean, I don’t think there’s anybody that doesn’t want to see this fight again, but um, Conor’s either gonna go defend his title or give his title up. Then we’ll figure out where we go from there.
[…]
They’re both really, they’re, It’s weird, they’re both like, giddy. They’re both pumped about the fight, they said it was awesome. They had a blast, and uh, they’re sick individuals, those two (laughs).
Many within the MMA community agree that a deciding bout will draw widespread attention, with each fighter now holding one win apiece in the bitter rivalry.
The UFC provided post-fight reaction from McGregor immediately after his triumph on Saturday, and he said a third match would have to happen at 155 pounds if it did materialise:
The Irishman has now fought Diaz on two occasions at the welterweight limit of 170 pounds, but it appears he’s keen to do business closer to his natural weight class if he were to chase a trilogy fight.
MMA Junkie reporter Chamatkar Sandhu is among those who agree a trilogy fight is all Diaz should be interested in, although McGregor now has options ahead of him once again:
TMZ Sports added that White wants McGregor to defend his UFC featherweight title against Jose Aldo or make the jump back down to lightweight and face current champion Eddie Alvarez.
Jeff Wagenheim of the Washington Post recently mused McGregor’s days as a 145-pound fighter could be behind him, however:
Come December 12, it will have been a full year since The Notorious last fought at featherweight, which means his dream of becoming a dual-weight champion in the UFC may depend on his next move in the promotion.
White has at least dismissed the notion of McGregor, 28, and Diaz, 31, meeting again anytime soon, but that’s not to say the pair couldn’t collide for a much-wanted third showdown in the future.
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