Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz News: UFC President Shuts Down Match Rumors
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White Jr. shuts down speculations that Conor McGregor will be fighting Nate Diaz.
White has denied that McGregor will be fighting Diaz, even though the reigning UFC lightweight champion mentioned having the fight in a previous interview in Scotland, while his coach, John Kavanagh, teased that it was a match he was looking forward to witnessing.
"Nobody's talked about Diaz. Diaz has never been talked about. That's internet (expletive)," White explained at the UFC 216 press conference, Yahoo! Sports confirmed.
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White added that Tony Ferguson — the new interim champion in the lightweight division — should be the one McGregor fights to determine who should hold the title of UFC lightweight champion.
"It's the fight that makes sense. It's the fight that has to happen," said White.
The UFC president also confirmed that McGregor is planning to return to the ring before this year ends, which the mixed martial arts fighter also confirmed as long as he won't be tied to any promotional obligations for any events.
"We didn't specifically talk about it. ... He wants to fight again this year," White revealed while adding that McGregor took some time off to relax a bit before going back to the ring.
"He went and partied in Ibiza for a while and went back home for a while. You've got to let him blow off some steam, and then we'll figure it out," White added, according to MMA Junkie.
White is expecting McGregor to come back to fight for the UFC this year, hopefully, this coming UFC 219 in December. However, even without McGregor's confirmation, it seems that White is planning to set up his fight with Ferguson already.
Meanwhile, Ferguson has already addressed the fight speculations between him and McGregor.
"Defend or vacate," was Ferguson's words for the current UFC lightweight champion.
