Nate Diaz defends Conor McGregor, applauds the decision of McGregor

LockerRoom Team

07 Jul 2024

Nate Diaz has come to Conor McGregor's defense after the Irishman withdrew from his scheduled UFC 303 main event against Michael Chandler due to a toe injury. McGregor faced significant backlash from fans and the media, especially after a canceled press conference in Dublin and a delayed announcement from the UFC that McGregor vs. Chandler would not occur on June 29.

Diaz, who has fought McGregor twice, shared his support on the MightyCast podcast with Demetrious Johnson. He pointed out that McGregor's injuries from his last fight likely influenced his decision to withdraw. “That’s experience, he was messed up when he fought his last fight and I’ve been messed up in many fights,” Diaz said. “I don’t like to cry about it afterward because your ass shouldn’t have come to the fight if you were messed up. That’s how I think about it.”

Diaz stressed that postponing the fight was a wise decision. “He bossed up on that,” Diaz said. “They should fight in a few months, and everyone criticizing him for pulling out should understand he didn’t pull out, they just pushed it back.”

McGregor has not fought since July 2021 at UFC 264, where he broke his leg in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. Diaz believes McGregor’s star power gives him leverage in rescheduling the fight. Diaz shared a similar experience before fighting Leon Edwards, where he had to push back a fight due to an injury.

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The possibility of McGregor vs. Chandler remains uncertain, with both fighters open to rescheduling. Diaz also reflected on his own history with McGregor, stating that their trilogy bout remains a topic of interest. Diaz defeated McGregor at UFC 196 and lost the rematch at UFC 202. Both events are among the UFC's most successful pay-per-views.

Diaz concluded, “I’m fighting all these guys again if they don’t fall off and retire.”