The spontaneity of the explosive rivalry between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz sprung to life over three years ago and created pay-per-view gold. There\u2019s still a trilogy left to be mined out of the bowels of the UFC\u2019s matchmaking grotto, but the attempt to do so now could result in a watered-down version of the original blockbuster\u2014a quick cash-grab pairing of two marquee names.<\/p>\n
If there is no organic route to a rubber match, then perhaps it\u2019s time McGregor and Diaz go their separate ways.<\/p>\n
Diaz\u2019s mere re-entry into the sport after a near three-year hiatus isn\u2019t enough to go back down that frenetic road with McGregor\u2014the one laden with profuse F-bombs, middle fingers and flying Monster Energy cans<\/a>. The two men that came together to create prize-fighting magic are in completely different places in their careers right now.<\/p>\n Conor McGregor is hell-bent on avenging his loss to lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and reclaiming his spot atop the UFC stratosphere, and Nate Diaz, who has already shut the door on a return to the lightweight division, has shifted his focus towards climbing the welterweight ranks and winning his first UFC title. Both fighters would be better off putting the rivalry on ice and giving one last hard push towards their individual goals.<\/p>\n The decision to move up and down in weight is taxing on the body, and it does McGregor no favors in preparing for a potential second run-in with Nurmagomedov. It\u2019s ironic to think that his willingness to take on all-comers, which is by-and-large the reason for his success, could also be the albatross in his road to redemption. It has been nearly four years since Conor McGregor was focused on a single division without the jumping around to lightweight and welterweight to accept greater challenges. He even pushed aside two prime years of his MMA career to take up a boxing match with undefeated legend Floyd Mayweather Jr.<\/p>\n McGregor is a lot of things to a lot of people, but a coward isn\u2019t one of them. Only a fool would mistake his ostentatious personality and razor-sharp tongue for weakness. There aren\u2019t many men out there that would accept a fight on two weeks\u2019 notice with Chad Mendes after spending an entire training camp preparing for Jose Aldo, much less taking on Nate Diaz at a completely different weight class with a little over a week\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n It\u2019s time for Conor McGregor to return to his centrally-focused roots that initiated his meteoric rise in MMA; to abandon the side attractions and lucrative circus fights that fed his pockets rather than added to his great legacy; to dig his toes solely in the trenches of the lightweight division, bite down on his mouthpiece and come out swinging. That equally obsessed martial arts mind still lives deep within the engorged vessel of the biggest star in UFC history, and through it, McGregor might actual stand his best chance of reclaiming the lightweight throne.<\/p>\n As for Diaz, he has ditched the tall and spindly look for the meat suit of a real-life Marvel superhero. A couple images have popped up of him training for his upcoming UFC 241 bout against Anthony Pettis, and he has obviously packed on a few more pounds of muscle, which is indicative of his intent to remain in the welterweight division.<\/p>\n Nate Diaz is in shape for UFC 241. @NateDiaz209<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/nwxajPBdm4<\/a><\/p>\n — Ross Edmonds (@RosssEdmonds) June 16, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n