Diego Sanchez reveals why he was stopped fighting Conor McGregor last year

Diego Sanchez really wants to fight 'The Notorious'.

The UFC veteran has had an ongoing war of words with Conor McGregor, going back months at this stage, and has been agitating for a crack at the Dubliner for over a year. Or more. A contest between both men almost came to pass in 2014 when  Norman Parke withdrew from his fight with Sanchez due to injury. McGregor expressed an interest in stepping in, and up a weight class. The fight never happened and now the very first winner of 'The Ultimate Fighter' has revealed why.

"The rivalry with me and him (McGregor) goes back three years and when I was going to fight in Mexico City he was willing to step in and that was something I was hoping for. "That didn't happen. Uncle Dana said no. He knew that for Conor McGregor to take a fight with me in Mexico City at 155 at short notice would be a very dangerous situation for him with the altitude and just the circumstances would be very dangerous for him to do that. "They told him no and they did not allow the fight to happen."

Depite the disappointment at missng out on McGregor last year, the UFC veteran is hopeful that the two men may still come face-to-face in the octagon

"I never took my eyes off Conor McGregor and my eyes are still on Conor McGregor. He's just an arrogant ass**le."

McGregor has claimed that he will move up a weight division at some stage in his UFC career but that is unlikely to happen until well in 2016 at the very earliest, no matter what happens in December's title showdown with Jose Aldo. The Dubliner now knows that there is still one man who is waiting patiently to face the Irishman when he does. You can watch a detailed interview with Sanchez, below, as he takes several shots at McGregor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i52uxDdfHtE