Did Nate Diaz Reject A Trilogy Against Conor McGregor In The UFC?

Nate Diaz has stirred things up again, this time by revealing he turned down a potential trilogy fight with Conor McGregor. It’s the kind of matchup that sells itself, given their history, but Diaz doesn’t seem interested in revisiting it just for the sake of hype. For him, the timing has to feel right, and right now, it clearly doesn’t.

Their rivalry goes back to 2016 and still stands as one of the most talked-about storylines in UFC history. At UFC 196, Diaz stepped in on short notice and pulled off a massive upset, submitting McGregor in the second round. It wasn’t just a win; it completely flipped the narrative around for both fighters. Diaz became a global name overnight, while McGregor was forced to deal with a rare loss at the peak of his momentum.

The rematch at UFC 202 later that year was just as intense, but very different in how it played out. McGregor came in sharper and more calculated, managing to secure a majority decision after five rounds of back-and-forth action.

It was close, competitive, and controversial enough to keep fans arguing about it even years later. With one win each, the idea of a trilogy has always lingered in the background.

Why Nate Diaz is walking away from the fight for now?

Nate Diaz recently explained his stance in typical blunt fashion. He made it clear that he wants to compete against the best version of his opponents, not someone coming off setbacks. He also pointed to McGregor’s recent knockout loss and serious leg injury, suggesting that fighting him now doesn’t really prove much either way.

“I wanna fight the best of the best. I’m not trying to kill off Conor when he’s on his last dying leg. At the same time, I’m not trying to get f*cked up by nobody who just got knocked out and broke his leg.”

Nate Diaz just revealed he turned down the Conor McGregor fight 😳

“I wanna fight the best of the best. I’m not trying to kill off Conor when he’s on his last dying leg.

At the same time, I’m not trying to get f*cked up by nobody who just got knocked out and broke his leg.” pic.twitter.com/lgjyAWL4FI

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) March 31, 2026

From his point of view, it’s a tricky situation. Beating a diminished opponent doesn’t carry the same weight, and losing to one could hurt even more. That kind of risk doesn’t line up with what Nate Diaz is looking for at this stage of his career.