Nate Diaz Hints at UFC 200 Withdrawal as Dana White Denies Conor McGregor Return

Nate Diaz has hinted he could be set to miss UFC 200, suggesting on social media he’s about to set off on holiday.  

The Stockton star was set to fight Conor McGregor in the showpiece’s main event, although the UFC removed the Irishman from the bill due to his unwillingness to fulfil pre-fight obligations. Now it seems as though Diaz, currently without an opponent, may not take part in the spectacle at all:

He'd previously claimed that he doesn't "have too much interest in anyone else" other than McGregor in terms of an opponent this summer, per Liam Corless of the Daily Mirror.

Diaz and McGregor faced off at UFC 196 earlier this year, with the former landing a surprise win over the Notorious.

McGregor was making his welterweight debut at the event and was handed a chance at immediate redemption when a rematch was announced for the UFC’s marquee show in 2016. However, the Irishman’s claims of retirement and subsequent revelations about not wanting to play a full part in promotions saw him struck from the card.

On Monday the Notorious posted a message on Twitter saying he was back on the bill, although UFC President Dana White told TMZ Sports “it’s not true.”

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Diaz’s own post has added further doubt to the main event being on the card on July 9 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It’d be a big shame for the 31-year-old, who has seen his own reputation soar in the wake of the win over McGregor, to miss out on the prospect of another big occasion. As MMA Junkie’s Chamatkar Sandhu showed here, the fighter’s shock triumph caused quite a stir, particularly in his home town:

Granted, his abrasive demeanour means Diaz isn’t unanimously popular in the MMA stratosphere, but McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, told The MMA Hour (h/t Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star) he has a lot of respect for the way the fighter goes about his business:

"

He’s a true fighter and a true warrior. And he can see that in Conor, and as much as Conor can see that in him.

There’s a lot of mutual respect between those two guys. You know, obviously Nate could’ve named his own price to fight anybody he wanted and for him to stand up there and say he’s only interested in fighting Conor was incredible.

I’m not surprised because, again, him and his brother just like that. They enjoy fighting a hell of a lot more than they enjoy even the financial rewards that come with it. They don’t seem to be that much motivated by that.

"

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At the moment, it's increasingly unlikely that we’ll see these two men go toe-to-toe for a second time in the summer. It seems the UFC is already pondering potential alternatives at late notice, with White telling ESPN.com that there’s a chance Jon Jones facing Daniel Cormier could be the headline fight.

Jeff Wagenheim of Sports Illustrated thinks a rematch between the two light heavyweights would actually be an upgrade on Diaz-McGregor II:

It’d be naive to read too much into this post from Diaz, though, as every segment of this ongoing saga has never been quite as it seems. McGregor has announced his retirement, then denied it and now has claimed to be back on the bill, which has been denied.

Diaz, at this juncture, can only sit back and watch as the UFC continues to ponder its options ahead of what should be a landmark occasion for the company.