Could Nate Diaz Follow Conor McGregor from the UFC into Boxing?

Nate Diaz has been chasing a rubber match with Conor McGregor for over a year now, and he might be willing to hunt that opportunity across multiple sports. Following an ominous tweet from Diaz hinting at a jump from the UFC Octagon to the boxing ring, NSAC executive director Bob Bennett discussed the possible move, and he seemed downright excited at the prospect of overseeing Diaz's in-ring debut.

"I don't think he's requested a boxing licence to date," Bennett told Express Sport. "But from what I know of Nate and who he spars with, I believe he may have been a sparring partner at some point in time with Andre Ward [...] We would be happy to licence him and we hope that he can fight in our state as well, 'The Fight Capital of the World.'"

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Diaz became one of the biggest stars in MMA during his beef with McGregor. The fighters split wins in an epic pair of bouts in 2016 that elevated the stars of both men, with McGregor solidifying his spot as the top draw in the sport and Diaz jumping from cult-favorite status to mainstream celebrity. But while McGregor has risen even further since then, Diaz's fighting future has remained unclear due to a likely contract dispute with the UFC, with the only news being occasional social media back-and-forth between the star and promotional President Dana White.

There was an uptick in chatter last week, however, when White threw water on rumors of a Diaz comeback opposite welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. This prompted an Instagram outburst from Stockton's finest followed by a pointed tweet that teased he may be leaving the UFC behind:

There's no question that the UFC would like to have Diaz back in the cage, but more than a year removed from UFC 202, there doesn't seem to be any progress on that front.

Whether Diaz ultimately returns to the cage or the ring, don't expect it to happen any time soon.