Nate Diaz has offered his verdict on Conor McGregor’s 40 second knockout win over Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, and given insight into his own plans for 2020.
McGregor demolished Cowboy in under a minute at UFC 246 to return to the Octagon in grand fashion following a 15-month hiatus.
It was Notorious’ first fight since he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018.
And the Irishman came back looking hungrier than ever has he despatched his American counterpart quickly and effectively.
Not Convinced
But Diaz wasn’t convinced by the performance, and was one of the first to imply that the headline bout was rigged.
Taking to Twitter immediately after the fight, Diaz wrote:
“Weak as f***”
“This sh**s alll fake”
Weak as fuck
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) January 19, 2020
This shits alll fake
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) January 19, 2020
Easy Fight
Diaz also went on to downplay McGregor’s burst back on to the UFC scene by suggesting that the only reason he won is due to Cowboy’s happy-go-lucky nature.
“Cowboy doesn’t care about winning and losing,” he told ESPN.
“So McGregor didn’t have a very hard fight on his hands.”
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No Rush
When it comes to his own plans for 2020, Diaz isn’t rushing to get back into the Octagon and is instead weighing up his options.
The 34-year-old hasn’t fought since his loss to Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244.
“I want to watch what happens in the next few months,” he explained.
When asked when fans might expect to see him fight next, Diaz responded: “When the time is right.”
The American didn’t have anything to say about his potential next opponents.
‘A War for the Ages’
Diaz is currently 1-1 with McGregor having faced the Dubliner twice in 2016.
He initially stopped Notorious with a second round submission at UFC 196 in March 2016.
But the tables were turned when the two met for a second time in August that year, with McGregor taking a decision win to even the scorecards in what he described as “a war for the ages”.
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‘Let’s Go’
And the Irish star has since expressed his interest in a trilogy fight with Diaz.
In the UFC 246 post-fight conference, McGregor said: “Let’s go Nathan.”
“Let’s go brother,”
“No 3.”
“It’s always here.”
“We’re right here Nathan.”
With McGregor planning two more huge fights for 2020, and Diaz insisting he will bide his time before making a decision, it appears a third clash wouldn’t be something for the immediate future.
But with the two stars deadlocked at one win each, it seems a no brainer that a tie-breaker occurs at some point down the line.
(Featured image source: Instagram/ Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor)