Nate Diaz Rejects UFC's 3rd McGregor Fight for Mike Perry Bout

5 articles · Updated · Heavy.com · May 13

Nate Diaz said the UFC tried to book a third fight with Conor McGregor before he signed a one-fight deal to face Mike Perry on Saturday's MVP MMA card.
Diaz said he turned it down because he did not want to serve as McGregor's comeback opponent after the Irish fighter's 5-year absence, arguing the timing was wrong.
Instead, Diaz said he pushed for a fight with UFC BMF champion Charles Oliveira, but the promotion was not interested in making that matchup.
The McGregor rivalry remains one of MMA's biggest unfinished trilogies: Diaz submitted him at UFC 196 in 2016 before McGregor won the rematch by majority decision at UFC 202.

Did Diaz just trade his legendary McGregor trilogy for a massive payday against a less-celebrated opponent?

Is Nate Diaz's Netflix fight the beginning of the end for the UFC's dominance over its star fighters?