That looks to be that.
Unless Conor McGregor’s people can get in a room with Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta before the end of this week, one suspect his rematch with Nate Diaz is not happening.
White has stressed, time and time again, in recent days that McGregor is off the card. That did not stop John Kavanagh, the Dubliner’s coach, telling The MMA Hour he was 51% hopeful a deal could be done.
Kavanagh also confirmed that McGregor had tweeted about being back on the card without his prior knowledge or that of his management team. He had, in effect, gone rogue with his own Twitter account. Crazy days.
Another tweet, sent by Nate Diaz last night, appears to end all hope of the pair facing off at the July 9 event in Las Vegas.
Happy to announce that I'm going on vacation #gone #100 ✌🏼️
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) April 26, 2016
The Stockton native made the announcement, last Friday, that he was either fighting McGregor at UFC 200 or he was going on vacation.
White was happy to offer Diaz a big name – at lightweight or welterweight – to tackle at the marquee event but he has nobly hitched his wagon to McGregor’s.
The pair’s only hope of fighting again this year may be if interim featherweight title challengers Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo go to war and do some mutual damage at UFC 200.
McGregor must defend his featherweight belt next but could yet squeeze in a date with Diaz if medical suspensions rule Edgar and Aldo out for a few months.
