Conor McGregor wasted no time taking aim at longtime rival Nate Diaz after Diaz suffered a bloody stoppage loss to Mike Perry at MVP MMA 1.
Diaz returned to MMA on Saturday night to face Perry in the co-main event of the Netflix card, but the fight quickly turned into a nightmare for the Stockton veteran. Perry battered Diaz over two rounds, opening nasty cuts and leaving him covered in blood before Diaz’s corner stopped the fight ahead of the third round.
The defeat marked Diaz’s first MMA appearance since leaving the UFC, and it didn’t take long for Conor McGregor to react on social media.
“I see why @NateDiaz209 didn’t take the fight lol,” McGregor wrote on X.“Anyway, here’s to when I get my hands on you, you lanky streak of p—.”
The post immediately reignited talks of a potential trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Diaz, one of the UFC’s biggest rivalries of the modern era.
Diaz reportedly turned down an offer to return to the UFC earlier this year, with many believing the promotion wanted him to complete the trilogy against McGregor. Instead, Diaz signed with MVP MMA for the Perry matchup, but the gamble backfired after Perry handed him one of the toughest beatings of his career.
Conor McGregor now prepares for his long-awaited UFC comeback after nearly five years away from MMA competition. UFC CEO Dana White announced during the MVP MMA event that McGregor will headline UFC 329 against Max Holloway on July 11 in Las Vegas.
The fight will serve as a rematch more than a decade in the making. McGregor defeated Holloway by unanimous decision in 2013 despite suffering a torn ACL during the bout. Since then, Holloway has evolved into one of the greatest featherweights in UFC history, while McGregor became the sport’s biggest superstar.
Before his upcoming clash with Holloway, Conor McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg in the trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier in 2021. He was expected to return in 2024 against Michael Chandler before injury forced him off the card.
As for Diaz, the loss to Perry drops him further into a difficult stretch outside the UFC. Since leaving the promotion, Diaz lost a boxing match to Jake Paul before rebounding with a win over Jorge Masvidal in their rematch. His return to MMA, however, ended in disappointment.
Still, the rivalry between Conor McGregor and Diaz refuses to die. The pair famously split their first two fights, with Diaz shocking the world at UFC 196 before McGregor edged out a majority decision win in their rematch at UFC 202.
If McGregor gets past Holloway at UFC 329, don’t be surprised if he starts pushing hard for the Diaz trilogy once again.
