Nate Diaz wants back in. Speaking to TMZ Sports on February 16, the 40-year-old Stockton native made clear he is ready to return to MMA competition and has no shortage of targets in mind.
“I’m ready to get back in real action,” Diaz said. “I want to fight either McGregor 3, I want to fight maybe Dustin Poirier if he stops being such a p*ssy, and then maybe Mike Perry. We’ll see what happens in the future, though.”
Three names, three very different situations. None of them are straightforward.
Diaz has been outside the UFC since September 2022, when he submitted Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in the final fight of his contract. In the time since, he has stayed active in boxing, defeating Jake Paul by majority decision in July 2023 and fighting Jorge Masvidal in a boxing match in 2025. Any UFC return would require a new deal, and Diaz has indicated he will only fight for the right price.
The UFC’s planned White House event on June 14 is also on his radar. The card is tied to President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and the United States’ 250th anniversary, and Dana White has confirmed it will feature six to seven bouts in front of an expected crowd of around 5,000 on the South Lawn. White is scheduled to meet with President Trump to finalize production plans.
When asked about it, Diaz did not hesitate.
“Yeah, that’d be dope, too,” he said. “America gang, baby. You already know what’s popping.”
White has said publicly that the card is “already built,” which puts a real question mark over whether Diaz is genuinely in contention for that show or simply expressing interest from the outside. No UFC confirmation of his inclusion has surfaced.
The biggest name on Diaz’s list is also the most complicated.
Diaz and McGregor split their two-fight series in 2016. Diaz submitted McGregor with a rear-naked choke in the second round at UFC 196 in March, and McGregor came back five months later to win a majority decision over five rounds at UFC 202. A third fight has been discussed almost every year since and has never come close to happening.
McGregor has not competed since July 2021, when he suffered a leg break in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Despite repeated suggestions of a comeback over the years, he has yet to return to the cage in nearly five years. Multiple reports have placed him among the names being discussed for the White House card, though the UFC has not announced anything official.
The commercial case for a third Diaz-McGregor fight does not need much explaining. Both carry crossover appeal that most fighters do not, and a fight of that profile would draw mainstream attention regardless of venue.
The fastest reply to Diaz’s comments came from Dustin Poirier, who posted a three-word message on X and Instagram on the same day: “Belt to ass @NateDiaz209.”
Belt to ass @NateDiaz209
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) February 16, 2026
Poirier technically retired last July following a decision loss to Max Holloway at UFC 318 in a farewell fight in his hometown of New Orleans. But he still has fights remaining on his UFC contract, and recent reports have placed him back training at American Top Team alongside active UFC lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot. He has not formally approached the UFC about a return.
He has been candid about where his head is.
“It’s just weird, it feels weird being a civilian,” Poirier told Ariel Helwani. “I miss it every day, man. I do. I feel like some days I’m like, ‘I can beat these guys.’ Then some days I’m like, ‘I made the right decision.’ It’s a constant tug-of-war in my head.”
Diaz and Poirier nearly fought in 2018 before the matchup fell apart due to injury and was never rescheduled. The back-and-forth between them on social media has kept the possibility alive without it ever becoming a real fight. If Poirier does decide to compete again, the contract pathway is already there. Whether Diaz’s callout speeds up that decision is another matter.
The third name is the most unconventional. Mike Perry left the UFC years ago and built a separate profile in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, going undefeated at 6-0 and becoming one of BKFC’s biggest names. He is currently a free agent and has been vocal about wanting to return to MMA.
Perry publicly challenged Diaz to a bare-knuckle fight back in 2022, which set a simmering feud in motion that remains unresolved. A matchup between them would carry genuine edge, though any UFC appearance for Perry would require its own separate negotiation, given the circumstances of his exit from the promotion.
What comes next?
The central question is whether the UFC has any interest in bringing Diaz back, and on what terms. A one-off deal and a full contract re-signing are very different arrangements, and Diaz has signaled he is willing to engage but expects to be compensated accordingly.
The White House card adds a tight timeline. With June 14 approaching and White indicating the lineup is mostly set, the window for Diaz to land on that specific show appears narrow at best. Whether any of his three named opponents ends up across from him, at whatever venue, still depends on negotiations that have not yet started in any confirmed capacity.
Poirier has already responded. The rest is still being figured out.
