Nate Diaz has a warning for Conor McGregor following his defeat at the hands of the Irishman at UFC 202—he wants a rematch, and he’s coming for him.
The American posted as much on Instagram on Wednesday:
Notorious won the five-round epic bout via majority decision, levelling their head-to-head record at one win apiece. Here’s a look at the scorecard, per Bleacher Report’s Mike Chiappetta:
Fox Sports’ Damon Martin hailed the contest:
The brutal bout was closely fought, with both fighters enjoying spells of dominance across the five rounds. McGregor scored three knockdowns in the opening round, while Diaz finished the fifth strongly with a takedown that put the Irishman on his back.
Some of the scoring proved controversial, as was the final result in the eyes of some. Diaz clearly thought he’d done enough:
However, the third round—which all three judges gave to Diaz—was marked incorrectly, according to Bleacher Report’s own Jonathan Snowden:
As noted by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, a second rematch between the pair would yield a lucrative deal for all involved:
Per Bloody Elbow’s Victor Rodriguez, UFC president Dana White has said the pair will have to wait for their trilogy fight, however, telling UFC reporter Megan Olivi: “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.”
As for Diaz, White did not know who his next opponent would be. Speaking to Submission Radio (h/t Adam Guillen Jr. of MMA Mania) the day after the fight, Diaz said he would accept his next opponent “only if it’s a big fight, a big deal for a big contract.”
Per The Independent’s Mark Critchley, Diaz is on a medical suspension until September 20 following the defeat, while McGregor is out until at least a month later, but could be suspended until February if his foot and ankle are not cleared by an orthopaedic doctor.
When the pair return to action, they will evidently be facing other opponents, but the prospect of a third fight at some point down the line—which both fighters want—will be far too lucrative to pass up.
Indeed, not only did McGregor winning the fight make the case for a rematch, but the thrilling spectacle will only enhance anticipation for it when it does come around.
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