Michael Bisping would like to see Conor McGregor square off against Nick Diaz.
With many of the UFC’s top lightweight contenders currently booked, questions loom over Conor McGregor’s next potential opponent.
There’s the possibility of a scrap with ex-WSOF lightweight titleholder Justin Gaethje, but UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has a better idea. Speaking on a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast, ‘The Count’ suggested a grudge match between ‘The Notorious’ and the enigmatic and elusive Nick Diaz — older brother of McGregor rival Nate Diaz.
With that said Bisping, the former UFC middleweight champion, can’t see party-animal Diaz agreeing to the matchup.
“That’s not bad. If I’m Conor, yeah call out Nick Diaz. Say listen, ‘I’ve already beat your brother, so come on big brother. Let’s go.’ I don’t think Nick Diaz is gonna take that fight though. I don’t know, well you probably do follow Nick Diaz on Instagram. My god, he’s having a whale of a time in Las Vegas, that guy. All he ever does is [party] at nightclubs, he’s hammered, he’s having a great time, he’s surrounded by pretty young girls. Why would he want to get back into the Octagon and fight?” Bisping questioned (transcript via Fernando Quiles Jr. of MMANews). “It’s a shame because the guy has real talent, but as I say you only get one life and he’s having a real f*cking good one by the looks of it.”
Diaz hasn’t fought in over four years, when he dropped a unanimous decision to former middleweight king Anderson Silva at UFC 183. The bout was overturned to a No Contest, however, after Silva tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Diaz also tested positive for marijuana metabolites and was subsequently suspended for 18 months (reduced from five years) by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
McGregor is tied 1-1 with younger brother Nate Diaz and the SBG Ireland product believes a trilogy bout is inevitable. Diaz, however, is currently slated to face Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 on Aug. 17.
McGregor hasn’t fought since his submission loss to reigning lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229, and the Irishman was recently pictured with a cast on his arm after sustaining an injury in sparring.