Conor McGregor believes Nate Diaz has what it takes to be crowned as the ‘baddest motherf***er’ in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Diaz will be back in action next month as he clashes with Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 244 at the Madison Square Garden.
The welterweight pair will fight for the one-and-done ‘baddest motherf***er’ title along with a $50 000 cash prize.
The slugger from Stockton, California just returned from a three-year hiatus last August and scored a dominant win against Anthony Pettis.
Announcing his withdrawal from the BMF title fight, Diaz said he is not eligible to fight Masvidal after getting flagged by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
This decision to expose the doping allegation ahead of the fight paid off for Diaz.
Days after his shocking announcement, the UFC’s anti-doping partner cleared Diaz’s name from illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and gave him clearance to fight in New York on November 2.
McGregor Picks Diaz
With the UFC 244 dodging a major blow, all eyes will be on Diaz and Masvidal as they star in what could be the most hyped welterweight clash this year.
Of course, Diaz’s former rival, Conor McGregor, will be keeping an eye on this fight.
In a recent press conference in Russia, ‘The Notorious’ from Ireland said Diaz’s experience will be crucial in winning the BMF title.
This is why he is picking Diaz over Masvidal to win this exciting clash.
“I think Diaz beats him,” he declared, (transcript from MMA Fighting).
“He’s got crisper boxing, way more experience. I think Masvidal’s had a good run, he’s had a two fight win streak.”
“The game is very forgetful I believe, our sport is, I think Diaz has enough in him to do it.”
“I think he’s in a better space. You’ve got to factor that in, what kind of space is the fighter in because everyone’s the best on their day.”
“I think Diaz beats him.”
OG BMF
While McGregor roots for his former rival, he said none of these two welterweights were the real bad motherf***er.
“I designed that ‘bad motherf*cker’ belt. I actually designed that, I signed off on the design of how they are creating that belt,” the former two-division champ said.
“So most certainly, that belt was brought into fruition, brought to life by me, the real bad motherf*cker.”
The Irish star also said he wants to fight one of these men in the future.
“Most certainly, one of those men is on my radar.”
McGregor has not fought since his fourth round submission in a lightweight title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.
He shared the Octagon with Diaz twice, where he was submitted in their first meeting at UFC 196 before bouncing back with a majority decision win at UFC 202.
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor)