Fresh off one of the biggest combat sporting events of all time, MMA fans around the world are now eager to see the sport's top draw get back into the Octagon. There are some tremendous fights to look forward to this year, but fans around the world are now calling for McGregor vs. Diaz 3.
Diaz and McGregor's previous fights
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz were never supposed to meet inside the cage.
McGregor dominated the featherweight division before moving up in weight to take on Rafael dos Anjos, but less than two weeks before the bout was set to take place, dos Anjos was pulled from the Fight due a foot injury.
Nate Diaz was "picked" by McGregor as his new opponent in a fight that would take place at 170 pounds. In what is now one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history, Diaz managed to submit Conor with a rear-naked choke in the second round.
The rematch came just over five months later, and this time McGregor proved the better fighter with a majority decision victory. With both men's careers likely reaching their final legs, now is the perfect time for the rubber match to take place.
When will the rubber match take place?
As we mentioned before, Conor McGregor is coming off his incredible boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. Most reports state this fight was the most watched event in combat sports history, and it's likely that McGregor earned upwards of $100 million. Still, he's stated he wants to return to the UFC cage sometime in the near future, and a bout with Nate Diaz makes perfect sense.
Nate hasn't competed since his loss to McGregor back in August of 2016. His manager told the media they're demanding at least $20 million to take the fight, and with enough fan demand, it's possible he'll receive it.
UFC 219 is scheduled to take place on December 30, which would serve as the perfect event for pair's third fight to take place.
Who would come in as the favorite?
When these two men fought for the first time, Nate Diaz was listed as a massive +400 underdog to beat McGregor. In their rematch, the odds were much closer and Diaz came in as the +125 underdog. So who will be favored in McGregor vs. Diaz 3?
Conor's stayed busy since the rematch with Diaz and will almost assuredly enter the third fight as the significant favorite. He's the smaller man, but if he can solve his cardio problems, he has a real shot at earning the victory the third time around, perhaps even with a stoppage.
Nate Diaz is always in tremendous shape and has arguably the best chin in all of MMA. It's almost guaranteed he will come in as the underdog here, but he's one of the toughest stylist match ups for McGregor in the UFC and might be worth a wager on.
Do you want to see McGregor vs. Diaz 3 sometime in 2017? Which fighter do you think wins if the fight comes together? Tell us what you think in the comment section.