UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor just scored a massive payday with his first pro boxing bout. Now his potential next MMA opponent is looking for one of his own.
Nate Diaz (19-11 MMA,14-9 UFC), who’s 1-1 after two recent welterweight bouts with McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC), is up for a fight with “Notorious,” who recently fought boxing legend Floyd Mayweather (50-0 boxing) and suffered a 10th-round TKO loss in an Aug. 26 pay-per-view blockbuster.
Diaz’s boxing coach, Richard Perez, told Submission Radio a Diaz-McGregor trilogy fight is possible – for the right price.
What would it take?
“At least $20 million, $30 million,” he told Submission Radio. “Come on. UFC’s making a whole lot of money – a whole lot of money – and they’re pocketing it. They’re giving more to McGregor, so it’s not fair because it takes two in that ring to draw a crowd. I mean, a good two fighters.
“It’s just like Mayweather when he fought (Andre) Berto. It was not even sold out at all. It was embarrassing. It’s because that guy couldn’t draw a crowd. See, that’s what I’m saying: It’s the fighters that draw the crowd. And Nathan and McGregor – the third one would be outstanding. Everyone knows that. So he needs to get paid at least $30 million easy.”
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=6gvFqHz5dMg
McGregor, who’s No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings (and No. 3 pound-for-pound), suffered a short-notice submission loss to Diaz at UFC 196 in March 2016. Later that year, McGregor narrowly avenged the defeat with a majority-decision victory over Diaz at UFC 202.
Diaz, who hasn’t fought since that UFC 202 loss, earned a reported payday of $2 million for the fight, which also earned both fighters a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus.
As for a potential rubber match, Perez said “McGregor’s not going to have a chance” if Diaz has an injury-free training camp.
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