Some rivalries fade with time. Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor’s? Not quite. Nearly a decade after their last fight, ‘The Stockton Slugger’ is still talking like a third meeting is waiting to happen. And judging by his latest comments, he has no intention of letting the trilogy disappear into UFC history.

Speaking to Red Corner MMA in New York City during the Ki MMA launch party, Nate Diaz confirmed that he expects to share the cage with ‘The Notorious’ again in the future.

“Yeah, hundred percent we’re gonna have a trilogy,” he said. “When he’s in action and I’m in action and s—‘s happening, we’re gonna meet.”

Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor split their first two encounters, with both men getting their hand raised once. ‘The Stockton Slugger’ shocked the Irishman at UFC 196 in March 2016, submitting him after stepping in on short notice.

Then ‘The Notorious’ got his revenge five months later at UFC 202, edging Diaz by majority decision to bring the rivalry level at 1-1.

And somehow, the trilogy is still a talking point nearly a decade later as the two have carved their names as legends in the sport. So, the unfinished business truly stings.

The two have taken very different paths since their last meeting, though. Nate Diaz left the UFC in 2022 and has since competed in boxing, while also appearing at Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA event outside the UFC.

Conor McGregor, meanwhile, has spent the last few years trying to make his way back from a string of injuries. His latest comeback attempt barely got off the ground, with the former two-division champion suffering an ACL tear in the very first round during his fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329.

And with just 1 more fight remaining in his UFC contract, could the trilogy happen under his co-owned BKFC banner? Nate Diaz wasn’t exactly ruling anything out.

“Well, whatever, wherever, whenever, whenever time is gonna meet up,” he replied when asked about the possibility. “Me and him are gonna fight, so we’ll see what happens.”

A bare-knuckle showdown between the two isn’t exactly a wild idea, either. Conor McGregor has made no secret of his interest in fighting for BKFC and previously suggested he would have fought without gloves if he hadn’t been tied to the UFC.

‘The Notorious’ also got fans talking in 2023 when he had a viral face-off with Mike Perry after ‘Platinum’ defeated Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41. Nate Diaz, meanwhile, is currently a free agent and has kept the door open for both boxing and MMA.

Conor McGregor’s immediate plans could make things a little more complicated, though. The Irishman has said he wants to return to the UFC during the next International Fight Week for one final fight, which would also be the last bout on his current contract.

With that deal reportedly set to expire roughly a year from now, a move to BKFC could eventually become an option. For now, though, McGregor’s focus is on recovering and making it back to the UFC. Whether that eventually leads him back to Nate Diaz is another question.

What we do know for now is that ‘The Stockton Slugger’ wants to run it back with the Irishman irrespective of the time or place. But his hopes for the quality of that trilogy fight would surely be high, as despite the rivalry, he feels disappointed about how things ended for Conor McGregor at UFC 329.

Nate Diaz shares his honest thoughts on Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 disaster

Despite their history, Nate Diaz also had some sympathy for McGregor after his latest comeback went sideways. ‘The Stockton Slugger’ suggested that the pressure and excitement of returning to the spotlight after five years away may have played a part in Conor McGregor’s early mistake against Max Holloway.

“About Conor, yeah, s— happens,” he said. “And yeah, a lot of excitement, back to the big show.

“Nerves are in, and that’s what happened, you know? It’s like, that’s what happens. F—– sucks for him, but it’s the name of the game.”

Nate Diaz struck a similar note in another interview with MMA Junkie, making it clear that he still wants to fight Conor McGregor, not see him forced out of the sport.

“Conor is a f—–, but Conor is a fighter,” Diaz said. “He’s someone you want to see. I’m not trying to kill him off. I’m not trying to be killed off by a guy trying to make a comeback. I’m trying to fight a big fight to move up in the fight program. I feel bad for him. I hope he does good. Positive vibes for the comeback.

“I’ll start whooping a– and doing good, and then I’m going to whoop his a–.”

Conor McGregor has been eyeing a return in summer 2027, although that timeline remains tentative. Before the Max Holloway fight was booked, Diaz was also rumored to be among the leading candidates for the Irishman’s comeback.

When that matchup failed to materialize, Nate Diaz instead faced Mike Perry at Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano and suffered a TKO loss.

For now, though, the trilogy remains a waiting game. Diaz appears open to fighting Conor McGregor wherever the opportunity comes up, while McGregor first has to recover from his latest injury setback. If both men make it back to action, the door to a third fight is still open, and it might very well be without the gloves on.