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Following his departure from the UFC, Nate Diaz will soon be free to make a decision on his fighting future, and A.J. McKee has now suggested that he would love the Stockton-native to step into the Bellator cage against him.
'Mercenary' is preparing to make his lightweight debut and will face off against Spike Carlyle this weekend. The former Bellator featherweight champion has spent most of his time competing in the 145lb division throughout his career and has often looked like a sensation when he steps inside the arena.
With Scott Coker already confirming his interest in signing Nate Diaz, it seems the iconic fighter already has a potential opponent waiting. Bellator's biggest prospect raised his hand to fight the 37-year-old due to problems the pair have had in the past:
"Run it up. Like I said, I don't turn down no phase, man, I'm in this for the long haul. I think that'll be a good fight, I think it'll be my first real huge fight into stardom and yeah, ain't no hard feelings but he could get a long beach slap, I can get a Stockton slap, let's see who slaps harder... I think he's going to probably be boxing. It's more ideal, you know, he's been through a lot, man. I've been watching him since I was a kid, he's a great performer, great fighter."
Since losing his featherweight strap last time out, McKee has moved up in weight in search of further success. If he manages to beat Carlyle on October 1, the 27-year-old could set himself on a collision course with lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull, the older brother of the man who handed him his only loss in MMA.
Watch McKee talk about Nate Diaz below:
Who can Nate Diaz fight in Bellator?
Diaz is a man in high demand, and signing a life-long contract to a company would most likely not be in the best of his interests, so who could he face in a Bellator appearance?
The former UFC lightweight title challenger wouldn't have trouble finding a matchup and would, without a doubt, be the main attraction in a Bellator pay-per-view card.
Though there's no official move yet, free agent Eddie Alvarez would be a brilliant fight for Nate Diaz and could well be the biggest and most notable fight in the history of the company.
