Conor McGregor, right, and Nate Diaz embrace following their welterweight mixed martial arts bout at UFC 202 on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, in Las Vegas. McGregor won by split decision. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)
After two thrilling bouts, UFC standouts Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz have each a victory over the other, but according to the latter, he’s not in a rush to settle the score.
The bitter rivals went back and forth in a close 5-round war at UFC 202, where the Irish man managed to get his hand raised and avenged his earlier loss. Diaz, however, sees no need for a rubber match and believes he’s up 2-0.
“I won the fight. I’m not jumping for joy for round three. I think I beat him twice and it’s 2-0, as far as I’m concerned,” the 31-year-old Stockton, California, native was quoted as saying in a report by MMAFighting. “If they’re [UFC] gonna want to do it down the road, I don’t know. I’m not in a hurry. It’s all good.”
Despite both fighters’ verbal agreement post-fight to throw down for the third time, Diaz says he is leaving the matchmaking decisions to his older brother Nick, who he refers to as the “general.”
The Ultimate Fighter Season 5 winner is also convinced that McGregor does not want to deal with him again, no matter how lucrative a third fight may be.
“He and his coach know what happened in the fight,” he said.
“They’re not stupid. I think they’re gonna do what they can do to do another division, get onto a new page,” Diaz added, referring McGregor’s apparent wish to clash with UFC 155lb champion Eddie Alvarez. Khristian Ibarrola