When Irish superstar Conor McGregor signed to coach ultimate fighter 31, The show originally appeared opposite Nate Diaz.
The legendary matchup between the two can be traced back to March 2016, when Diaz replaced Rafael dos Anjos (Rafael dos Anjos) against McGregor at UFC 196 on short notice. The latter’s foot was broken. With the fight shifting to 170 pounds to accommodate Diaz, he managed to overcome McGregor, bringing him to submission in the last minute of the second round.
There was a rematch at UFC 202 later that year at welterweight; this time, McGregor took home a decisive victory. With their career series tied at 1-1, the eraser game of the trilogy has been waiting.
appear in a special way MMA hours On Wednesday, McGregor revealed that he was supposed to face Diaz as coach at TUF 31.
“It was originally against Nate. It was Nate, I was against Nate,” he said, asked about facing Michael Chandler on the show. “So honestly, I don’t mind who the opponent is, I don’t mind who I compete with, it’s known. So I agreed, it’s Nate, like a day or two ago, now it’s Michael Chandler. I don’t Sure what happened in the end, but it was me to Chandler, that’s all. I have no problem, I’m fine with it.”
While McGregor won’t be fighting Diaz at the end of TUF 31, he believes the duo will one day wrap up their trilogy. “I’m going to get that again. That trilogy is definitely going to happen at some stage.”
As for Chandler, McGregor confirmed he will fight at welterweight. “The next one for me is 170,” the former double-champion said. No time frame was announced, but McGregor added “late summer, maybe later, depending on the circumstances.”
McGregor needs to be in the USADA testing pool ahead of any return date, but the anti-doping organization previously confirmed to Cageside Press that the UFC could waive the six-month testing window for returning fighters.
