It’s been almost two years since the last time Nate Diaz fought in the UFC, having an epic rematch with MMA’s biggest star Conor McGregor. Since this bout, it seems that the only fight Diaz will take is a trilogy with Ireland’s McGregor, having turned down every other offer by UFC president Dana White. However, it seems that Nate Diaz may be training for a comeback, and in doing so, he needs a formidable opponent to take up this challenge. I think I have a few names that may be able to step up to Stockton’s own, and I feel that every one of these men could give Diaz the toughest fight of his career.
1. Conor McGregor
The current Lightweight champion (for the time being) and aforementioned Conor McGregor is quite possibly the fight that makes the most sense for Nate Diaz. McGregor will soon be stripped of his title once Tony Ferguson fights Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 on April 7th, and once that happens, all bets are off. With no belt, Conor’s next fight doesn’t have to be the number one contender (as if that mattered anyways), meaning it leaves the door wide open for these two men to headline the biggest pay-per-view in UFC history. This would likely be the only fight either man would take, both knowing that no other fight would generate more money, and despite McGregor fancying himself a boxer these days, you know he would love to try to punch Diaz’s ticket once and for all.
2. Eddie Alvarez
Despite having headlined one of the biggest events in UFC history, not a lot of people know who Eddie Alvarez is. Well, he’s the guy Conor McGregor beat to get his second belt. With that being said, he’s still one of the toughest, blood and guts fighters in the Lightweight division. After knocking out fan favorite Justin Gaethje in one of the best fights of the year, Alvarez has put himself into a position to get either a big money fight or a contender fight, and I think Nate Diaz could be both. These two would throw hands at each other from bell to bell, never taking a step back, until someone falls to the floor. I guarantee that if this fight ever happened, it would win fight of the year, and it’s possibly the most logical step for each fighter to take.
3. Dustin Poirier
Speaking of blood and guts fighters, top Lightweight contender Dustin Poirier undoubtedly falls into that category. While he may have a fight coming up with the always tough Justin Gaethje, win or lose, Nate Diaz could be a logical fight for him. If Dustin wins, then he would probably need another win in the log jammed division to get a title shot, and the last person to beat the current champion could absolutely get him the opportunity. However, if he loses, then chances are he’ll be ranked somewhere around Nate, and a matchup between these two could be a barn burner with huge implications for the division. While Nate Diaz may only be looking for a money fight, if the UFC can find a way to pay both of these men well, it could be a fight that happens in the future.
4. Justin Gaethje
It seems like I’ve talked about Gaethje a lot already, but for good reason. I would dare to say that he is the most exciting fighter on the entire roster, and any fight he gets in would be a candidate for fight of the year. However, you match him up with the durable, pay-per-view draw that is Nate Diaz, you have the fight of the century on your hands. Both of these fighters only go forward, only look for the knockout and only want to put on the best fights. From an entertainment standpoint this is an excellent matchup, but in terms of logic, will it ever happen? Only time will tell.
5. Carlos Condit
I know, if you know anything about MMA this fight makes no sense, but hear me out. I’m willing to bet one of the reasons Nate Diaz is stalling on his return is because he hates the weight cut, so coming back for a fight at 170 pounds may be just what the doctor ordered to get him in the cage. Who better for a superfight there than former champion Carlos Condit? He’s had a rough patch in his career lately, but he always goes for the knockout in every fight, and has the kind of technical striking that could make for an interesting matchup with Diaz. Not to mention, Condit beat Nate’s brother Nick for the Interim Welterweight title back in the day, and this fight could be marketed not only as a comeback for both fighters, but as a grudge match. I know that Nate would like to get some revenge for his brother, and considering that Condit is currently riding a three fight losing streak, he may not have a whole lot of options left.
6. Anthony Pettis
This is the fight that makes the most sense from a rankings standpoint (both men being just below the top of the division), and everyone knows who Anthony Pettis is. The intense kicking game of Pettis pitted against the crisp boxing of Diaz would be an interesting mix of styles, and I think that the fight would go to whoever could implement their game plan. While this might not be the money fight to get Diaz back in the cage, with the proper buildup, it could be the best pay-per-view co-main event of the year.
7. Kevin Lee
I mean, could you imagine the trash talk leading up to this fight. Not only are both of these guys elite fighters, but they know how to sell fights, and this could be a valuable addition to any UFC card. The mouths on these two alone would be enough to cement this fight into the history books, but you know there are going to be fireworks in the fight as well, and I think that anyone who is a fan of the sport would pay to see it.
8. Tony Ferguson
Nate Diaz is a pay-per-view draw, but that doesn’t really grant him a title shot on his return. However, should Tony Ferguson lose his belt to Khabib on April 7th, why not fight Diaz? This is the kind of fight that only happens once a generation, where two guys are so easily matched that there’s no possible way to predict the victor. They’re both black belts in jiu-jitsu, excellent boxers and world class muay thai practitioners, and I couldn’t begin to ask somebody to pick a favorite for this fight. There will be blood, there will be chokes, and there will certainly be plenty of excitement if this fight were ever to be made.
9. Khabib Nurmagomedov
This might be a bad matchup for Nate Diaz, but nonetheless, if Khabib loses his title fight, who else would be better for a rebound fight? Don’t get me wrong, Diaz’s black belt could certainly pose problems for the 25-0 Russian, but unless he can literally use it as a weapon during the fight, I don’t see how he could win. Does that mean that he shouldn’t take the fight? No, because that’s not the kind of person Diaz is, or at least used to be. He took every fight against the toughest competitors during his career, and it’s important for his legacy that he fights Khabib eventually. I see now as good of a time as any.
10. Robbie Lawler
Perhaps Nate Diaz is done with the Lightweight division altogether, and should pursue the latter part of his career a division up. Who better to welcome him than former champion and top contender Robbie Lawler? Lawler is in a strange position, being ranked within the top five, yet being at least two to three fights away from another title shot. Beating Nate Diaz, a name that a lot of people know, certainly wouldn’t hurt his reputation at all. These men are both absolute warriors, and although Lawler may have a size advantage, you should never count out a fighter like Nate Diaz.