Manager: Diaz road to trilogy with McGregor is through Ferguson
“If this thing happens with Floyd Mayweather, you got to get Conor McGregor excited to get back in there with you. That’s just the reality of it.”
The only contest UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor has expressed any interest in is a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. And his friend Gunnar Nelson says after that fight Notorious might not do MMA again, as he is intent on ever topping himself. However, there is at least one more MMA fight that has to happen – a trilogy with Nate Diaz.
Tony Ferguson’s manager Audie Attar made a suggestion during a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour. McGregor’s long run without a fight means an interim title will become available, and Attar thinks Nate Diaz vs. Ferguson are the two who should fight for it.
“The Nate Diaz fight interests [Ferguson],” said Attar, as transcribed by Chisanga Malata for England’s Daily Star. “And you gotta get Conor excited. If you want Conor to be excited about you, you better go in there and fight if you want to fight him in the future. So the thing is Nate and Tony for the title, that creates a narrative.
“So if Nate really thinks he’s worthy of it, he A, gets to fight for a title and B, if he thinks he’s worthy of it, one of those two guys has to come out victorious. And both of them want to make Conor excited and want the fight.”
“If this thing happens with Floyd, you got to get Conor excited to get back in there with you. That’s just the reality of it. So I think from an opportunity standpoint, Nate would be foolish not to consider taking Tony on for the interim title fight.”
Diaz has to weigh the potential for a loss vs. Ferguson against the increase in interest McGregor might feel if Nate held an interim title. Nate may decide to let whoever fight whoever and continue to enjoy life until McGregor comes calling for that trilogy.