Earlier, it was looking as if re-emerging lightweight contender Nate Diaz is the leader in the Conor McGregor sweepstakes, or he was if you go by various social media posts from those close to him today. First, Jose Garcia, Diaz’s strength and conditioning coach, posted about it on Facebook, and screen grabs of the posts quickly spread on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/OJEntertainment/status/702220314198073346/photo/1
A few minutes later, Michael “Layzie the Savage” Mardones, a northern California-based MMA videographer and friend of Diaz, tweeted this:
Just got a call from Nate… He's headed to the gym and wants me to film… I wonder what is up… Stay locked.
— Michael Mardones (@LayzieTheSavage) February 23, 2016
And there was more where that came from:
Well… Well… Well… Looks like we may have some negotiations going down right now.
— Michael Mardones (@LayzieTheSavage) February 23, 2016
No. Fight isn't on yet. I think Jose just got excited. https://t.co/lbVz5LutFm
— Michael Mardones (@LayzieTheSavage) February 23, 2016
There's a possibility of a catch weight at 165lbs.
— Michael Mardones (@LayzieTheSavage) February 23, 2016
UFC isn't going to allow McGregor to fight at 165lbs when he's already moving up to 155lbs. Nate isn't going to 155lbs on 2 weeks. /story
— Michael Mardones (@LayzieTheSavage) February 23, 2016
The offer isn't even in the ballpark of what it would take to get Nate to make 155lbs on two weeks.
— Michael Mardones (@LayzieTheSavage) February 23, 2016
If Conor McGregor doesn't want to fight Nate Diaz at 165lbs in two weeks… That's fine by Nate… But just remember who they called first.
— Michael Mardones (@LayzieTheSavage) February 23, 2016
Mardones had tweeted earlier (before he was first called in by DIaz) that Donald Cerrone was the favorite to get the McGregor fight, so if the UFC went to Diaz because Cerrone bowed out it looks like they’re both out. But it’s not clear yet if that’s why they went to Diaz. One would think that if that’s the case, Anthony Pettis is next on the agenda to fight McGregor, and if not him, then someone like Tony Ferguson or Eddie Alvarez who’s on the cusp of a lightweight title shot, or even Diego Sanchez, who’s on the card (against Jim Miller) and would have more name value than some of the contenders.At one point, there were rumors that McGregor wanted to fight Sanchez at 155 pounds on UFC’s Mexico City debut card in 2014 when Joe Lauzon pulled out, but nothing came of it.
