John Kavanagh Wants Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3 on St. Patrick's Day

If Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh had his druthers, The Notorious would square off against Nate Diaz in a rubber match on St. Patrick's Day.   

"If it was my choice, and I must stress that this is only my choice and that doesn't mean it's going to happen, it would be Nate Diaz in March," Kavanagh said Wednesday in Dublin, Ireland, according to MMA Fighting's Peter Carroll. "That's what I would push towards.

"I have in my head that it would be a Paddy's Day card in New York, Nate Diaz 3. I think that would be absolutely amazing. That's what I would wish for."

Furthermore, Kavanagh disputed a report from Irish publication the Sunday World that McGregor and Diaz were nearing an agreement to square off at UFC 219 in Las Vegas on Dec. 30. 

"Dec. 30 is definitely not happening," he said. "I don't know how these things get started, but they have a certain way of gaining momentum."

UFC president Dana White and MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani also denied those rumors on Twitter.  

If Kavanagh gets his wish, McGregor and Diaz would return to the Octagon Saturday, March 17, in the Big Apple—which served as the backdrop for Notroious' last UFC win in November 2016 against Eddie Alvarez—after they split their first two clashes at UFC 196 and UFC 202. 

"That’s what I’ll be leaning towards with my 0.1 percent influence when I meet with Conor and [agent] Audie [Attar] tomorrow," Kavanagh added. "I want Diaz 3, Paddy’s Day in New York."

But as Helwani noted, the two sides could have a difficult time making that date work since both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are scheduled to host home games on the 17th.