Conor McGregor On Nick And Nate Diaz's Return: Line Them Up

Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC & Nate Diaz Instagram

Despite announcing his retirement from professional mixed martial arts once again following UFC 250 in June, former lightweight and featherweight champion, 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor seems intrigued at the potential return of both Nick, and former-foe Nate Diaz early next year.

McGregor, who's shared the Octagon with younger brother, Nate on two separate occasions at UFC 196, and UFC 202 had plans for a possible three-fight season this year, which included a BMF championship challenge, as well as an undisputed lightweight title tilt. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic preventing the promotion from hosting events to fans, McGregor has only managed to step inside the Octagon once this annum.

Snapping an extended hiatus following his bad-blooded UFC 229 defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Crumlin native returned to welterweight waters in January at UFC 246, scoring a dramatic forty-second knockout win over future Hall of Fame inductee, Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone.

Currently preparing for a marathon endurance race as part of Princess Charlene of Monaco's team, which begins on September 12th. in Corsica - McGregor commented on the potential return of Nick Diaz early next year, as well as Nate's proposed UFC 247 BMF rematch with Jorge Masvidal in January - floating potential pairings with both.

Line them up

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 8, 2020

Nate Diaz, who became the first opponent in the UFC to defeat McGregor at the aforenoted, UFC 196 event in early 2016 - shocked many with a second-round rear-naked choke upset. In an immediate rematch that August at UFC 202, McGregor scored a close majority decision win before securing the lightweight crown with a UFC 205 pummeling of Eddie Alvarez in November.

Since then, Diaz has featured twice under the UFC's banner, returning at UFC 241 last August, to take a unanimous judging win over former WEC and UFC lightweight titleholder, Anthony 'Showtime' Pettis in Anaheim. Diaz would go on to callout Masvidal in search of a BMF championship showcase, dropping a third-round doctor's stoppage in a one-sided loss.

For Nick Diaz, his manager Kevin Mubenge reported recently that the former WEC and Strikeforce gold holder is "100%" targeting a return to the Octagon early next year, following a fourteen-week regiment recently, which saw the 37-year-old perform a test cut to welterweight for the first time in four or so years.

The popular striker and Brazilian-Jiu Jitsu player last featured at UFC 183 in early 2015 - in an eventual 'No Contest' opposite former middleweight champion, Anderson Silva.