5 big-name fighters who could return to the UFC in 2018

#2 Nate Diaz

Nate Diaz has recently been angling for a fight with Tyron Woodley

Nate Diaz hasn’t fought since losing to Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 202, but that hasn’t stopped plenty of fighters – from Tyron Woodley to Eddie Alvarez and Frankie Edgar – from calling him out, largely because they know that after his two fights with McGregor, he draws more than the majority of fighters on the roster.

Diaz has resisted calls to return thus far, largely because of his monetary demands – supposedly around $15m per fight – are far beyond what the UFC brass are willing to pay him.

But the money he made from the McGregor fights can’t last forever and at some point, it’s likely that Diaz will have to accept a slightly lower fee and get back into the cage while he’s still in his athletic prime.

Could that be in 2018? It’s probably likely, as the UFC’s lack of marketable stars means they’re probably more likely to come to a compromise with Diaz regarding his purse.

Currently, it seems like he’s angling for a fight with Woodley for the UFC Welterweight title – a match that would be ridiculous from a sporting standpoint but sounds like just the kind of crazy thing that could happen in the WME era UFC.