{"id":131794,"date":"2026-05-17T00:17:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T03:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/nate-diaz-eyeing-ufc-return-after-mike-perry-lays-out-plans-for-a-conor-mcgregor-trilogy-fight\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T00:17:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T03:17:15","slug":"nate-diaz-eyeing-ufc-return-after-mike-perry-lays-out-plans-for-a-conor-mcgregor-trilogy-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/nate-diaz-eyeing-ufc-return-after-mike-perry-lays-out-plans-for-a-conor-mcgregor-trilogy-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"Nate Diaz eyeing UFC return after Mike Perry, lays out plans for a Conor McGregor trilogy fight"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Nate Diaz is officially back in MMA as he prepares to battle Mike Perry on Netflix for Jake Paul\u2019s Most Valuable Promotions this Saturday, May 16<\/a>. Despite his absence from the sport, the fan favorite always left the door open for his eventual MMA return.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Tuesday\u2019s edition of \u201cThe Ariel Helwani Show,\u201d<\/a> Diaz revealed that he strongly considered signing with his longtime MMA home, the UFC, before the MVP deal appeared. Diaz spent 15 years with the UFC before he parted ways with the promotion to professionally box in 2023. Had Diaz returned to the Octagon, he expected a trilogy bout with his old rival, Conor McGregor. But simply put, he didn\u2019t like the timing.<\/p>\n

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“I was pretty close because they\u2019ve always been great. Since I left, too,\u201d Diaz told Uncrowned. \u201cThey talked and met up with me. It was good to see them and be back. Wheels were spinning just for an MMA fight return, and getting back to what I do.<\/p>\n

“I know that they wanted the Conor fight right now. That’s not what I \u2014 they were insinuating, they didn’t offer it, but I think that’s what they wanted. I’m not trying to be comeback story for Conor. I want Conor back, then I want him to be f***ing showing people he’s whipping ass, and then<\/em> that’s the guy I want. I don’t want to be fighting a guy that [people] don’t know about. Because I know that he’ll come back and do good. I don’t need him to do it on me.”<\/p>\n

Diaz\u2019s own MMA absence isn\u2019t far off from the length of time McGregor has been away from the cage. Diaz closed out his UFC run with a submission win over Tony Ferguson in September 2022; McGregor, meanwhile, hasn\u2019t competed since suffering a gruesome broken leg in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.<\/p>\n

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By the time Diaz\u2019s UFC contract was finally completed, he\u2019d already been vocal about testing the free agency waters to pursue other possibilities. So it\u2019s safe to say there was hesitation on Diaz’s part to rejoin the UFC only four years later.<\/p>\n

“I figured people would follow the blueprint, but I figured that years ago when I was talking a bunch of s*** and I could fight,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cI used to say stuff, like, \u2019If I was the champ and had the belt, I would say this and this, and it would go however the f*** I want.\u2019 Then I was like, \u2018F*** a belt,\u2019 and just started doing that. But imagine if I had a belt.<\/p>\n

“Anyway, I thought people would lead by example, but people don’t pay attention to s***. I watched everything everybody does. I watched [Quinton] ‘Rampage’ [Jackson] do everything, I watched Chael Sonnen do everything, Conor, and everybody who did anything. I watched every f***ing blueprint on how and what they did. I’ll f***ing lock it in and do better.<\/p>\n

“When I got out and did the boxing with Jake [Paul], I did the boxing with [Jorge] Masvidal; there were no dance partners out here,\u201d Diaz continued. \u201cThere’s nobody to squabble with on the outside. That’s why we got Perry now \u2014 I’m like, well, f***, before I go back to the UFC [we may as well do this fight]. I’m going to go back [to the UFC], and once I get locked in, I’m going to be locked in the whole time for the next forever. You ain’t getting out of those contracts. I’ve already been in them. The thing is, especially being out and knowing too, get out so we can dance. Nobody’s doing it.”<\/p>\n

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In a way, Diaz, 41, has his own mental checklist for names he\u2019d like to compete against. The problem with the UFC though, at least in Diaz\u2019s mind, is the company\u2019s lack of single-fight deals. More often than not, fighters get stuck with lengthy contracts before they can get back to exploring their overall options on the open market.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there was three fights that I wanted right now, I’d be right back in there like bam, bam, bam,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it was hard to jump back in because I tried hard for so many years to get out. I can’t just jump right back in. At least with Perry, I can get this done, so I’ve done everything on the outside before going back in.”<\/p>\n

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A win over Perry on Saturday could go a very long way for Diaz. His ambitions haven\u2019t wavered, at least regarding the level of opposition he wants to be matched against.<\/p>\n

Ideally, the BMF title is still a prize Diaz wants to hold after fighting for the inaugural strap against Masvidal in November 2019. Right now, the belt\u2019s owner is former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, making him Diaz\u2019s top target in a potential UFC return.<\/p>\n

“I would like to fight the best fighters in the world, and they’re in the UFC right now,\u201d Diaz said.<\/p>\n

“Oliveira out of everybody, that’s what I wanted. I was like, alright, I’m going to go back and get that belt, fight this motherf***er. [UFC] weren’t interested and wanted to give me Conor. I want to fight Conor, but right now, it’s not the time. Everything’s about timing. It’s not the time for that.<\/p>\n

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“[Diaz vs. McGregor 3 is] big wherever the f*** it’s at. Whatever happens, by any means, the plan is to fight him. When the time is right, it’s going to be right.”<\/p>\n

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