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Mark Raimondi, ESPN staff writer
LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz trilogy hopes are very much alive.
Diaz said Friday that he believes there is no doubt he will fight McGregor once. The two biggest stars fought twice in the UFC in 2016, with Diaz winning once and McGregor winning the second fight via majority decision.
“I’m 100 percent guaranteed to fight Conor McGregor again,” Diaz said at a media event at Resorts World to promote his June 1 boxing match against Jorge Macivale.
McGregor has floated the idea of fighting Diaz at the Sphere on Mexico’s Independence weekend in Las Vegas on a card the UFC has planned for the venue. UFC CEO Dana White shot down that idea, but Diaz said he’s interested in that fight.
Diaz, 38, also said he believes in rematches with boxing and MMA losers Jake Paul and Leon Edwards. He also wants an MMA rematch with Masvidal after Masvidal wins their 2019 fight at UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden, saying the two will inevitably square off again.
“This is my favorite list,” Diaz said.
Masvidal is still under UFC contract but has retired from MMA and can currently box. Diaz and Masvidal will square off in a 10-round, 175-pound bout at the Arena in Inglewood, Calif.
Masvidal will make his pro boxing debut. The event will be broadcast by Fanmio and the two fighters are in the middle of a four-city promotional tour, which includes stops in Los Angeles, Miami and New York.
Diaz called Edwards the most interesting guy in the UFC at the time. When Diaz left the UFC as a free agent in 2022, he said he didn’t think anything “cool” was happening in the promotion at the time.
“The best thing out of the UFC right now is Leon Edwards,” Diaz said. “It’s something I’ve had my eye on. I love that fight right now. I think he’s doing great. I think he’s doing better and better. Good attitude, good fighter. I think he’s probably the best thing in the UFC right now.”
Diaz lost by unanimous decision to Paul, the YouTube-based award fighter, in Diaz’s ProBox debut last August.