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Javier Mendez has a realistic pick for who should fight Conor McGregor next, and a dream pick. Nate Diaz is his dream pick.
The American Kickboxing Academy coach was speaking to 'The Schmo,' who asked him who he wants to see McGregor fight next. Mendez first suggested Michael Chandler as the best likely option, even if the bout had to happen at welterweight. But when 'The Schmo' opened the debate up to a potential Nate Diaz trilogy fight, Mendez got excited. He said:
"Nate Diaz is a good one too. You can't say nothing about Nate, look what Nate did in his last fight in performance. He didn't get the W but he got the W. He got the W in everybody's eyes, they came out clapping, cheering. He's the dog in that fight. You put him into the equation, okay my choice? Nate. Hands down Nate. ... Because I already know, guaranteed barnburner. Both the fights were barnburners."
Watch Javier Mendez discuss McGregor's next opponent below:
Unfortunately, Nate Diaz is in the midst of a contractual tug-of-war with the UFC. He wants the promotion to book the last fight on his contract so he can leave and make money elsewhere. The UFC seems in no rush to facilitate Diaz's desire, possibly because they were hoping to book Diaz vs. McGregor 3 when McGregor finally returns from a bad leg injury.
Conor McGregor may not make that return to the octagon until 2023, though. Holding Nate Diaz in limbo until then sounds almost criminal.
Javier Mendez is excited to potentially join Khabib Nurmagomedov on The Ultimate Fighter
Javier Mendez doesn't coach McGregor or Diaz, but he does coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, who remains a fixture at AKA. Recently Nurmagomedov suggested he coach the next season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Tony Ferguson.
If that were to happen, Mendez would undboutedly end up on the show as part of the coaching staff. He shared his thoughts on a potential return to 'TUF' (he helped coach season 12 and 27), saying:
"Think about the impact it could have! Tony and Khabib on the opposite ends of the poster. Can you imagine the fireworks and Khabib's one-liners? Tony's got the one-liners too. It's a real chemistry of dislike and like between those guys, it's not completely dislike, it's dislike and like. I think to some degree, Khabib admires Tony. He dislikes Tony but he likes Tony. I think he respects Tony. I think Tony does it right, he comes at Khabib with the right type of attack ... he doesn't go religion, he doesn't go country. Tony does it in a fun way, so I think it'd be great."
Dana White has said he'd seriously consider the offer, and right now The Ultimate Fighter needs all the help it can get, star-wise. Its return after three years featuring Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega was aired on ESPN. The latest season between Julianna Pena and Amanda Nunes is off terestrial TV in the US and streaming only on ESPN+.
