Conor McGregor will get the chance to avenge his defeat to Nate Diaz as reports indicated a rematch has been agreed upon and the Ultimate Fighting Championship is planning to announce the bout soon.
Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting first reported the purported agreement, indicating that the McGregor-Diaz rematch will likely be the main event at UFC 200 on July 9 at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. No title will be at stake and the match will be a welterweight showdown.
"It appears as though UFC 200 is on the verge of getting its main event," Helwani said. "The UFC is close to finalizing a non-title welterweight rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz for the July 9 card."
Sources also confirmed to Fox Sports that there is already a verbal agreement between McGregor and Diaz's camp, but not deal has been signed. It means nothing is official but UFC is expected to finish all paperwork and announce the bout anytime soon.
McGregor took a second-round submission defeat via rear-naked choke during their showdown at UFC 197, where Diaz just stepped in on short notice after Rafael dos Anjos sustained a foot injury that forced him to withdraw from the bout. The loss ended McGregor's eight-fight winning streak.
Following the loss, there were speculations McGregor will move back to the featherweight division in his next fight and defend his title against Frankie Edgar or Jose Aldo. However, the reigning UFC featherweight champion got what he wanted, as he has expressed interest in facing Diaz again during an interview with TMZ Sports.
"I think I'd like to see that. It's one that interests me most certainly," McGregor said of facing Diaz again. "You know when I look at the fight, I was winning the fight. I won the first round and a half. I'd love to get that one back. We'll see. We'll see how it goes. Life is good."
Diaz, on the other hand, sounded cold about giving McGregor a rematch. He told Rolling Stone that he sees no reason to give McGregor a chance to avenge his defeat, citing previous cases where champions lost by decision but did not get a shot to reclaim their title.
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