The first version of Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz revealed the Irish fighter’s challenges of carrying extra weight, with McGregor’s expected answer to be a drop back down to 145 pounds, where he stands as Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight champion.
Yet, the website MMA Fighting reported Friday that the UFC is “close to finalizing” a deal to have McGregor and Diaz stage another 170-pound welterweight rematch as the main event of UFC 200 on July 9 at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Multiple UFC officials did not respond to Times requests Friday morning to comment on the report, and one tempered the report by describing McGregor-Diaz as “a possibility in discussions.”
While the matchup seems puzzling given McGregor’s difficulty in the first fight, the UFC 196 card was a financial success, generating live-gate sales in excess of $8 million at MGM Grand, and more than 1 million pay-per-view buys.
McGregor suffered his first loss in eight UFC fights on March 5 after absorbing hard second-round punches and fatiguing so badly that he opted to try to grapple with Stockton’s Diaz, a jiujitsu specialist who submitted McGregor by rear naked chokehold late in the round.
McGregor indicated afterward that he foresaw a return to the featherweight class after his original March 5 opponent, lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos, withdrew less than two weeks before the fight with a foot injury. Diaz has previously fought as a lightweight.
Top featherweight contenders Frankie Edgar, a former UFC lightweight champion, and former featherweight champion Jose Aldo of Brazil lobbied for McGregor. Edgar was aware of the report and declined to comment to The Times through a representative.
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Conor McGregor, left, and Nate Diaz exchange punches during their welterweight fight at UFC 196 on March 5. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times )
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Nate Diaz takes down Conor McGregor during their non-title welterweight bout at UFC 196 in Las Vegas on March 5. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times )
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Nate Diaz grapples with Conor McGregor during their welterweight bout at UFC 196.
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Nate Diaz takes down Conor McGregor during their UFC 196 fight on Saturday night.
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Nate Diaz celebrates his win over Conor McGregor at UFC 196 on March 5. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Nate Diaz celebrates his win over Conor McGregor after their non-title welterweight fight at UFC 196.
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Miesha Tate goes for a single-leg takedown against Holly Holm during their women’s bantamweight title bout at UFC 196.
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Holly Holm, bottom, tries to fend off Miesha Tate during their women’s bantamweight title fight at UFC 196.
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Holly Holm lands a big left against Miesha Tate during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight championship fight.
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Holly Holm, left, and Miesha Tate trade kicks during their women’s bantamweight title fight at UFC 196 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
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Miesha Tate takes down Holly Holm during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight title fight. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Miesha Tate sinks the chokehold on Holly Holm that led to a submission in the fifth round of their women’s bantamweight championship fight at UFC 196 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
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Miesha Tate springs to her feet after defeating Holly Holm by submission in the women’s bantamweight championship fight at UFC 196.
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Miesha Tate celebrates after defeating Holly Holm at UFC 196 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
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Gian Villante, left, tries to block a kick by Ilir Latifi during their bout at UFC 196.
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Gian Villante, left, and Ilir Latifi grapple during their light-heavyweight fight at UFC 196.
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Gian Villante, left, tries to prevent a takedown by Ilir Latifi during their light-heavyweight fight at UFC 196.
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Valentina Shevchenko tries to land a knee against Amanda Nunes during their women’s bantamweight fight at UFC 196.
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Valentina Shevchenko, left, sends Amanda Nunes reeling during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight bout.
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Valentina Shevchenko, left, tries to fend off the attack by Amanda Nunes in a women’s bantamweight bout at UFC 196.
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Amanda Nunes has the upper hand during her UFC 196 bout against Valentina Shevchenko.
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Amanda Nunes, left, has a kick blocked by Valentina Shevchenko during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight fight.
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Valentina Shevchenko, right, lands a right during her UFC 196 bout against Amanda Nunes.
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Valentina Shevchenko, bloody face and all, is ready for more action during her UFC 196 women’s bantamweight fight against Amanda Nunes.
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Valentina Shevchenko was able to fend off the attacks by Amanda Nunes to win the women’s bantamweight bout by unanimous decision at UFC 196.
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Corey Anderson, left, lands an overhand right against Tom Lawlor during UFC 196.
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Corey Anderson works from the top against Tom Lawlor during their light-heavyweight bout at UFC 196.
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Corey Anderson, left, and Tom Lawlor trade blows during their light-heavyweight bout at UFC 196.
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Corey Anderson takes down Tom Lawlor during their light-heavyweight fight at UFC 196.
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Corey Anderson completes a takedown agianst Tom Lawlor during their UFC 196 fight.
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Corey Anderson raises his arms after defeating Tom Lawlor in a light-heavyweight bout at UFC 196.
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Brandon Thatch punches Siyar Bahadurzada during their bout at UFC 196.
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Brandon Thatch lands a kick against Siyar Bahadurzada during their UFC 196 bout.
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Siyar Bahadurzada celebrates after defeating Brandon Thatch during UFC 196.
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Vitor Miranda kicks Marcelo Guimaraes during their UFC 196 bout.
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Marcelo Guimaraes, left, and Vitor Miranda trade punches in the middle of the octagon during their UFC 196 bout.
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Nordine Taleb celebrates after defeating Erick Silva at UFC 196 on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
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Darren Elkins (top) slams Chas Skelly to the canvas during their UFC 196 bout on Saturday night.
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Diego Sanchez, left, follows through after punching Jim Miller during their bout at UFC 196.
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Jim Miller lands a kick against Diego Sanchez during their UFC 196 bout in Las Vegas.
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Julian Erosa attempts a kick against Teruto Ishihara during their bout at UFC 196.
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Teruto Ishihara sends Julian Erosa to the canvas before winning by a technical knockout in the second round of their UFC 196 bout.
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Jason Saggo celebrates after defeating Justin Salas at UFC 196.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images) SIGNED HOMECOMING: Former middleweight champion Anderson Silva, who lost a disputed decision to England’s Michael Bisping last month in London, will meet Uriah Hall at the Arena da Baixada in Silva’s hometown, Curitiba, Brazil.
The May 14 UFC 198 card will be headlined by Brazil’s Huntington Beach-trained Fabricio Werdum defending his heavyweight belt against heavy hitter Stipe Miocic of Cleveland.
A UFC official said the Silva-Hall deal was signed Thursday and added that, in addition to former light-heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua being on the card, the organization is exploring the possibility of putting 145-pound female Cris “Cyborg” Justino on the card.
“Cyborg” currently fights for the Invicta fight organization, but is under contract with the UFC, which doesn’t offer a women’s division above bantamweight (135 pounds).
