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.”
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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.
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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.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Nate Diaz takes down Conor McGregor during their UFC 196 fight on Saturday night.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Holly Holm, bottom, tries to fend off Miesha Tate during their women’s bantamweight title fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Holly Holm lands a big left against Miesha Tate during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight championship fight.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Miesha Tate celebrates after defeating Holly Holm at UFC 196 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Gian Villante, left, tries to block a kick by Ilir Latifi during their bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Gian Villante, left, and Ilir Latifi grapple during their light-heavyweight fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Gian Villante, left, tries to prevent a takedown by Ilir Latifi during their light-heavyweight fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Valentina Shevchenko tries to land a knee against Amanda Nunes during their women’s bantamweight fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Valentina Shevchenko, left, sends Amanda Nunes reeling during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight bout.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Amanda Nunes has the upper hand during her UFC 196 bout against Valentina Shevchenko.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Amanda Nunes, left, has a kick blocked by Valentina Shevchenko during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight fight.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Valentina Shevchenko, right, lands a right during her UFC 196 bout against Amanda Nunes.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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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.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson, left, lands an overhand right against Tom Lawlor during UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson works from the top against Tom Lawlor during their light-heavyweight bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson, left, and Tom Lawlor trade blows during their light-heavyweight bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson takes down Tom Lawlor during their light-heavyweight fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson completes a takedown agianst Tom Lawlor during their UFC 196 fight.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson raises his arms after defeating Tom Lawlor in a light-heavyweight bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Brandon Thatch punches Siyar Bahadurzada during their bout at UFC 196.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Brandon Thatch lands a kick against Siyar Bahadurzada during their UFC 196 bout.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Siyar Bahadurzada celebrates after defeating Brandon Thatch during UFC 196.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Vitor Miranda kicks Marcelo Guimaraes during their UFC 196 bout.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Marcelo Guimaraes, left, and Vitor Miranda trade punches in the middle of the octagon during their UFC 196 bout.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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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.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Darren Elkins (top) slams Chas Skelly to the canvas during their UFC 196 bout on Saturday night.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Diego Sanchez, left, follows through after punching Jim Miller during their bout at UFC 196.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Jim Miller lands a kick against Diego Sanchez during their UFC 196 bout in Las Vegas.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Julian Erosa attempts a kick against Teruto Ishihara during their bout at UFC 196.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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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.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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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.
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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).
