5 potential opponents for Nate Diaz

While a lot of the talk coming out of UFC 241 was about Stipe Miocic and his recapture of the UFC Heavyweight title, perhaps the biggest piece of news following the blockbuster show in Anaheim is the fact that Stockton’s favourite son, Nate Diaz is back in UFC action – apparently for good this time.

Diaz defeated Anthony Pettis in a tremendous performance – one of the best of his career, a surprise given he hadn’t fought since 2016 – and with even UFC President Dana White now admitting that he’s a “needle-mover”, hopefully it won’t be long before we see him in the Octagon again.

But who should Diaz face? Here are 5 potential opponents for the UFC’s most popular bad boy.

#1 Jorge Masvidal

Could we get a war between Diaz and fellow bad boy Jorge Masvidal?

This one seems pretty logical, as Diaz outright called out Jorge Masvidal for a fight in his post-fight interview following his victory over Pettis on Saturday, suggesting that the winner would be considered “the baddest m********** in the game”.

‘Gamebred’ is on a super-hot run right now, coming off major knockouts of Darren Till and Ben Askren, and it seems like a clash between him and Diaz would make perfect sense right now.

At one point it appeared that Masvidal was in line for a title shot, but with Colby Covington now at the front of the queue for a shot at Kamaru Usman’s title, it seems that ‘Gamebred’ is the odd man out for the time being. This means a fight with Diaz sounds great, especially when you consider the confrontational attitude that both men possess as well as their fighting skills, particularly on the feet.

The one drawback? Money, potentially. Masvidal has been quoted as saying that he’d fight “King Kong in his prime” if the UFC are willing to pay him, but who knows how much he’s demanding, and whether the promotion will be willing to pony up? If the UFC are willing to grant him the big paycheque he’s demanding, then don’t be surprised to see this fight later in 2019.

#2 Conor McGregor

Could Conor McGregor return for a rubber match with Diaz?

The big one. Everyone’s been clamouring for a rubber match between Nate Diaz and Irish superstar Conor McGregor since they famously split two fights – and broke pay-per-view buyrates – back in 2016.

At one point the fight didn’t seem to make much sense given McGregor was holding the UFC Lightweight title and there were more deserving contenders than Diaz, but with ‘The Notorious One’ now belt-less – and winless since 2016 – it’d probably be a good idea for both men.

The fight makes even more sense when you consider that if Khabib Nurmagomedov defeats Dustin Poirier on September 7th, it’d be even trickier to justify a title fight for McGregor. Dana White even suggested recently that McGregor’s future could depend on the outcome of last weekend’s Diaz/Pettis fight, and now that Diaz has won, surely it makes sense to attempt to put together the third fight.

Would we see a re-run of the classic brawl the two men had at UFC 202? Could Diaz submit McGregor as he did at UFC 196, or even wilder, could ‘The Notorious One’ become the first man to outright knock Diaz unconscious?

There’s no denying that the intrigue would be there, and thankfully Diaz has already shown interest. The ball may now be in McGregor’s court.

#3 Justin Gaethje

A fight between Diaz and Justin Gaethje would almost guarantee fireworks

Justin Gaethje might be signed to face Donald Cerrone in one of 2019’s most highly anticipated fights in a month’s time, but let’s face it – win, lose or draw, a fight between ‘The Highlight’ and Nate Diaz would guarantee absolute fireworks.

Gaethje has brought serious excitement literally every time he’s stepped into the Octagon since signing with the UFC in 2017, and while he’s a natural 155lber, a chance to fight Diaz could well be the catalyst for a temporary move to 170lbs.

Diaz has stated that he’s not interested in fighting just anyone – he wants to face matches that make sense stylistically from an entertainment standpoint. Essentially, that means he doesn’t want to face any stifling grapplers like Kamaru Usman or Colby Covington – but a wild striker like Gaethje on the other hand would be absolutely perfect.

Could Gaethje’s heavy hands translate up to 170lbs – and if they do, does he swing with enough power to knock Diaz out? Or would Diaz’s heavy volume and newly found skills in the clinch be enough to pull him through? One thing would be for certain; neither man would back down. This would be a phenomenal fight.

#4 Al Iaquinta

Al Iaquinta is cut from the same cloth as Diaz - making them a great potential match

When it comes to fighters who are cut from the same cloth as Nate Diaz, names like Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal might come to mind, but the guy who reminds me most of Stockton’s favourite son when it comes to his sheer aura is Al Iaquinta.

‘Ragin Al’ is as wild outside of the Octagon as he is inside it, and he rivals Diaz himself when it comes to his devil-may-care attitude when it comes to the UFC itself.

The issue with this potential fight? Probably weight. Iaquinta has never fought outside of 155lbs in the UFC before, while it seems unlikely that at 34 years old, Diaz will ever make it back down to that weight again.

But I actually don’t think it’d be a problem. Iaquinta is a man who took a fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov on one day’s notice – I hardly think he’d have any qualms about moving to 170lbs for a clash with Diaz.

With his boxing skill, great cardio and heavy hands, Iaquinta would undoubtedly be a fun match for Diaz – and despite his solid wrestling he’s unlikely to shoot for takedowns either, making him the kind of opponent Diaz would love to face. The pre-fight trash talk alone would make this one worth it, however unlikely it sounds.

#5 Robbie Lawler

Robbie Lawler famously fought Diaz's brother Nick in 2004 - and a fight with Nate could be equally great

Sure, former UFC Welterweight champion Robbie Lawler is clearly on the downswing of his career at the age of 37, having been through a simply inhuman amount of wars in the Octagon. And he looked pretty bad by his standards in his recent loss to Colby Covington. But does that mean he shouldn’t be considered as a potential opponent for Nate Diaz? My opinion is no.

Firstly, the fact that Lawler is coming off a loss doesn’t really matter – Diaz has stated that he’s after stylistically fun fights rather than ones that’ll lead him to a title shot, Lawler’s wild striking style certainly makes him a potentially fun fight, and he’s still one of the most respected Welterweights in the game.

There’s also an in-built story to the fight, as Lawler famously went to war with Nate’s brother Nick in one of the greatest fights of the pre-TUF era – a fight that ended with Diaz becoming the first man to knock Lawler out.

‘Ruthless Robbie’ gunning for revenge against the brother of the man who knocked him out? That sounds awesome to me, regardless of Lawler’s current physical state. If the likes of Masvidal and McGregor prove too expensive, this fight would make a lot of sense – and guarantee fireworks too.