Nate Diaz has made his preference clear as he weighs a UFC return: the former fan favorite would rather chase a shot at the BMF title than settle for a trilogy fight against Conor McGregor. Diaz said the timing and the opponent matter more than the money, and he does not want a return that ends with him fighting McGregor just because the name still carries the biggest spotlight.
Diaz is set to face Mike Perry in MMA competition on the MVP MMA card on Netflix on May 16, but his long-term target remains tied to the UFC landscape. In a recent appearance on “This Past Weekend w/Theo Von,” Diaz said he received stronger offers from the UFC than from Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix, yet those offers did not match the fight he wanted.
Diaz wants the right fight, not just the biggest payday
Diaz said he still wants to go back to the UFC, but only if the matchup fits his goals. He emphasized that timing matters in combat sports and argued that a return would not make sense if it placed him in a bout he does not actually want.
According to Diaz, the UFC’s immediate offer would have led him toward McGregor, but that is not the path he wants now. “I want to fight the best of the best,” Diaz said, making it clear that he is focused on high-level relevance rather than revisiting an old rivalry for its own sake.
BMF title remains the main target
Diaz said former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira would be his ideal opponent, especially after Oliveira won the UFC’s BMF belt by beating Max Holloway in a five-round decision at UFC 326. Diaz created the BMF concept in 2019 when he fought Jorge Masvidal in the inaugural BMF title fight, so the title still carries personal meaning for him.
The BMF label has always been tied to Diaz’s identity as a fighter who values grit, style, and meaningful matchups. That makes Oliveira a more attractive target than a McGregor trilogy, even if the latter would likely draw more mainstream attention.
Why Diaz is not eager for McGregor now
McGregor has not fought since his TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in 2021, when he suffered a broken leg. Diaz and McGregor split two fights in 2016 within six months, creating one of the most famous rivalries in MMA history and fueling years of speculation about a third meeting.
Even so, Diaz believes the return would not be the same at this stage. He said he does not want to be “the end of some f—er’s story,” and he also does not want to fight someone who is coming off major injury and inactivity if the goal is competitive merit.
What Diaz’s comments signal
- Diaz wants a UFC return only if the opponent is top-level and the timing feels right.
- McGregor remains a marketable option, but Diaz does not view him as the best sporting choice right now.
- Oliveira’s recent BMF win gives Diaz a more relevant target tied to his own legacy.
- The Diaz-McGregor trilogy still carries appeal, but it remains on hold for now.
- Diaz’s next move appears to depend on whether the UFC can offer a fight that matches both his status and his ambitions.
McGregor has also suggested that a comeback could happen later this year, possibly as soon as July, but that does not appear to be enough to pull Diaz toward a rematch. For now, Diaz’s focus sits on the BMF lane, where the matchup feels more meaningful and less like a late chapter in someone else’s career.
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