"That big fight has to have bad blood" - Daniel Cormier backs Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz trilogy fight as potential UFC 300 headliner

Daniel Cormier has expressed his support for a potential Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz trilogy showdown at the landmark UFC 300 (April 13, 2024) event.

On ESPN MMA's DC & RC podcast, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier and podcast co-host Ryan Clark discussed the UFC 300 fight card. They notably highlighted that Nate Diaz recently tweeted a photo of his first clash against McGregor. The tweet generated speculation that Diaz could return to the UFC and face the Irishman at UFC 300.

Cormier harked back to the UFC 200 event in July 2016, which was expected to be headlined by a lightweight heavyweight title bout between himself and archnemesis Jon Jones, a bout that fell apart after Jones tested positive for banned PEDs.

'DC' suggested that despite that matchup generating significant buzz, it was the addition of Brock Lesnar to UFC 200 that made it truly extraordinary. Cormier alluded that the consensus has long been that UFC megastar Conor McGregor, who's been on hiatus since July 2021, would return to the octagon this year (2024) and fight Michael Chandler.

On that note, Cormier indicated that he respects Chandler, but booking McGregor to fight Nate Diaz instead would be a considerably bigger money fight.

Explaining that the rumored Leon Edwards-Belal Muhammad UFC welterweight title fight isn't a big enough showdown to headline UFC 300, he proposed the Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz trilogy fight as the ideal UFC 300 main event. 'DC' stated:

"What I will say about UFC 300 -- it's missing a big fight. That big fight that it's missing has to have a backstory. That big fight has to have bad blood. That big fight has to bring the eyeballs. So, it can't be Belal Muhammad and Leon Edwards because it just doesn't have enough to it. While it's a fantastic fight, it doesn't have enough to it for it to be the main event."

Cormier opined that currently, the UFC doesn't have as many top-tier box office attractions left, but McGregor is one of those unique megastars who could rake in massive numbers irrespective of the opponent. 'DC' implied that McGregor and Diaz are past their athletic prime, but their trilogy clash would still pique fan interest. He said:

"Regardless of who he would fight, the attraction comes with him. But if McGregor fights Diaz, that is what I believe draws the general fan in as much as anything that they could do in the UFC right now. Just because of Nate Diaz and the intrigue, the way the first fight played out, the way the second fight played out. It is still two of the highest-grossing pay-per-views in UFC history."

Check out Cormier's comments below (6:14 - 6:40 and 11:40 - 13:50):

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Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz: Revisiting the UFC icons' previous MMA encounters

Thus far, former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor has faced veteran American MMA stalwart Nate Diaz twice in the MMA dominion.

Their first encounter witnessed Diaz step in on short notice to face then-featherweight kingpin McGregor in a welterweight bout at UFC 196 in March 2016. Diaz rallied after a tough first round and beat 'The Notorious' via submission in round two.

An immediate rematch, again at welterweight, followed at UFC 202 in August 2016. A five-round war ensued, which ended with Conor McGregor avenging his defeat by besting Nate Diaz via majority decision.

In the ensuing years, both fighters have consistently maintained that they'd be open to a third fight. Presently, the Irishman's comeback fight and date haven't been officially announced yet, whereas Diaz currently isn't a part of the UFC roster.