NATE DIAZ’S FIRST fight since his defeat to Conor McGregor could see him take on another former two-weight UFC champion.
UFC president Dana White has said that the organisation is currently working on a match-up between Diaz and Georges St-Pierre.
Georges St-Pierre Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC
Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC / Zuffa LLC
Diaz (19-11) has been absent from the octagon since August 2016. After submitting McGregor in the second round of their first bout, which took place five months earlier, the popular Californian dropped a majority-decision loss to the now former featherweight and lightweight title-holder in their rematch.
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St-Pierre (26-2), who was a dominant welterweight champion for over five years, voluntarily relinquished the 170-pound title in 2013 and took a break from competition.
The 36-year-old Canadian, who’s widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, returned to action last November, winning the middleweight title courtesy of a third-round submission of defending champion Michael Bisping.
However, it turned out to be the briefest championship reign in UFC history. After just 31 days at the summit of the 185-pound division, GSP vacated the belt in order to focus on recovering from a bout of colitis.
Despite most recently competing at middleweight, GSP would fight at lightweight [155 pounds] for the first time in his professional career if the clash with Diaz is booked, according to Dana White.
Nate Diaz — whose older brother Nick lost a 170-pound title bout to GSP in March 2013 — has competed at welterweight on several occasions (including both of his bouts with Conor McGregor) but the 33-year-old has been at lightweight for most of his career.
Nate Diaz Brandon Magnus / Zuffa LLC
Brandon Magnus / Zuffa LLC / Zuffa LLC
“We are working right now to try and put together a GSP versus Nate Diaz fight,” White told the UFC Unfiltered podcast. “It is true, and they would fight at 155 pounds.”
White is hoping that such a bout will take place in Los Angeles on 4 August at UFC 227, which is currently due to be headlined by the bantamweight title rematch between defending champion TJ Dillashaw and former team-mate Cody Garbrandt.
The UFC boss also mentioned the possibility of a light-heavyweight bout between Alexander Gustafsson and former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold being booked for UFC 227.
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Lightweight bout between GSP and Nate Diaz in the works for UFC 227
NATE DIAZ’S FIRST fight since his defeat to Conor McGregor could see him take on another former two-weight UFC champion.
UFC president Dana White has said that the organisation is currently working on a match-up between Diaz and Georges St-Pierre.
Diaz (19-11) has been absent from the octagon since August 2016. After submitting McGregor in the second round of their first bout, which took place five months earlier, the popular Californian dropped a majority-decision loss to the now former featherweight and lightweight title-holder in their rematch.
St-Pierre (26-2), who was a dominant welterweight champion for over five years, voluntarily relinquished the 170-pound title in 2013 and took a break from competition.
The 36-year-old Canadian, who’s widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, returned to action last November, winning the middleweight title courtesy of a third-round submission of defending champion Michael Bisping.
However, it turned out to be the briefest championship reign in UFC history. After just 31 days at the summit of the 185-pound division, GSP vacated the belt in order to focus on recovering from a bout of colitis.
Despite most recently competing at middleweight, GSP would fight at lightweight [155 pounds] for the first time in his professional career if the clash with Diaz is booked, according to Dana White.
Nate Diaz — whose older brother Nick lost a 170-pound title bout to GSP in March 2013 — has competed at welterweight on several occasions (including both of his bouts with Conor McGregor) but the 33-year-old has been at lightweight for most of his career.
“We are working right now to try and put together a GSP versus Nate Diaz fight,” White told the UFC Unfiltered podcast. “It is true, and they would fight at 155 pounds.”
White is hoping that such a bout will take place in Los Angeles on 4 August at UFC 227, which is currently due to be headlined by the bantamweight title rematch between defending champion TJ Dillashaw and former team-mate Cody Garbrandt.
The UFC boss also mentioned the possibility of a light-heavyweight bout between Alexander Gustafsson and former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold being booked for UFC 227.
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