Getty UFC President Dana White (C) separates Nate Diaz (L) and UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor (R) as they face off during their weigh-in for UFC 202.
One of the front-runners for Conor “Notorious” McGregor’s next opponent, longtime rival Nate Diaz, took a shot at McGregor on Twitter. It has been reported by Ariel Helwani that Diaz and Justin Gaethje are the leading candidates for a fight with Notorious, with Gaethje slightly ahead for a summer match.
Here is the tweet from Diaz:
What happened to your season?
I was allready back in by now wtf
Diaz’s tweet reads, “What happened to your season? I was [already] back in by now wtf.”
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McGregor Started His 2020 ‘Season’ By Defeating Donald Cerrone in January
During the lead up to his fight with Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, McGregor was adamant that he was starting his 2020 fight “season,” which would involve him fighting three times this year. There has been a lot of speculation about when Notorious will fight again, and if UFC president Dana White gets his way, McGregor would fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title.
But Nurmagomedov is scheduled to defend his lightweight belt against Tony Ferguson in April at UFC 249, and there’s no guarantee that he will be the victor. If the lightweight champ does get his hand raised, he presumably won’t be able to fight until fall. However, White told TMZ that McGregor may not want to wait that long for the chance of fighting Nurmagomedov.
That’s where Gaethje and Diaz come in. McGregor could be matched up with either of the men and it’ll be a huge event. Gaethje is a heavy striker with powerful wrestling, and it would be an interesting challenge for the Irishman. And in terms of Diaz, the two men have fought twice already, each winning and losing one bout. Fans have been clamoring for a trilogy fight since their last bout at UFC 202.
Dissecting Diaz’s Tweet to Conor McGregor
It isn’t clear what Diaz meant when he tweeted “I was already back in by now,” but he may be alluding to his return after his hiatus. Diaz returned after three years away from the UFC in August 2019. He won his comeback fight against Anthony Pettis, and he fought again in November against Jorge Masvidal, a fight which he lost by doctor’s stoppage.
McGregor returned after a year-and-a-half layoff in January of this year. With how the UFC schedule is looking, and assuming the UFC wants McGregor on a PPV card, the most plausible time for Notorious to return is in early July for the annual International Fight Week PPV.
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