The highly anticipated trilogy bout between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor will have to wait, perhaps indefinitely. In a classic display of Stockton defiance, Nate Diaz has revealed that he recently turned down a “big” offer from the UFC to step back into the Octagon and finally settle the score with his longtime rival.

Diaz chose to fight Mike Perry instead of cashing in on what would have been a huge paycheck against the sport's biggest star. The MMA legend said that the choice had nothing to do with the money, it was only about the quality of the competition he was facing.

Speaking on his decision to reject the UFC's lucrative pitch, Diaz did not hold back, delivering a savage assessment of McGregor’s current standing in the combat sports world.

“They wanted me to fight Conor McGregor right now,” Diaz stated, shedding light on the promotion's attempts to lure him back. For Diaz, a fight with the former champion simply doesn't carry the same competitive weight it once did. Pointing to top-tier contenders, he added, “I want to fight Charles Oliveira. I want to fight the best of the best, when they are the best of the best.”

The most scathing remark was reserved for McGregor's current career trajectory. “Conor’s great,” Diaz conceded, “but I’m not trying to go kill off Conor when he’s on his last dying leg.”

The “Notorious” one will definitely feel a certain way about those comments, since he has had a hard time getting back into the Octagon since breaking his leg in 2021. The UFC clearly thinks that a Diaz-McGregor trilogy will be a huge hit, but Diaz's focus has changed. By taking on the surging Mike Perry at MVP MMA on Netflix, Diaz believes he is facing a far more dangerous and active threat right now.

For now, the greatest rivalry in modern MMA history remains tied at one apiece. If Diaz holds firm to his belief that McGregor is completely finished, fans may never see that highly coveted third fight.