Something is brewing in the UFC, and fans can feel it in the air. After Dana White teased a jaw-dropping surprise for 2025 at a post-fight press conference late last year, speculation has been running rampant in the MMA sphere. And now, a familiar name has returned to the mix. Actually, two names. Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. Could their trilogy be the “ace” Dana White’s been hiding all along? Chael Sonnen thinks so, or at least, he’s tossing the idea into the ring.

In a recent video uploaded on his YouTube channel, ‘The Bad Guy’ shared, “An ace that the UFC has been sitting on and that we all assumed would get played at one point. And even though the talk is down, the talk has to be down to match the criteria that Dana laid out, which is we never see it coming. Never see it coming isn’t an exciting piece of news… It’s got to be one that you couldn’t, right?”

Let’s pause here for a second and rewind to the UFC boss’s explosive comments at the close of 2024. At the UFC Tampa post-fight press conference, White looked forward to 2025 and stated, “I’ve got something in the works right now that will drive you f—- crazy, all you guys would be running around. I got something in the works that you will never f— see coming for 2025, that literally started to come together last night.”

As such, Sonnen continued by asking the viewers to chime in with their own picks for what the matchup could be. However, he then laid out his own take as he stated, “By the way, Conor McGregor versus Nate Diaz 3, you would never see that coming. And see, the UFC has this massive card called Nate Diaz, and they haven’t played it. But they also haven’t given us any evidence that they’re about to. And I would just assume that, that will get played.”

Their rivalry is the stuff of MMA legend. It began with Diaz choking out Conor McGregor in 2016, birthing the iconic “I’m not surprised, mother—” line. McGregor evened the score five months later. Since then, the third chapter has hung in the air like unfinished business.

But timing is everything. The Irishman hasn’t fought since his leg break against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. His comeback bout with Michael Chandler at UFC 303 never materialized. Diaz, the inaugural BMF title challenger, wrapped up his UFC stint in 2022 by submitting Tony Ferguson. He’s since gone 1-1 in boxing, losing to Jake Paul in 2023, then edging Jorge Masvidal out with a majority decision in 2024.

And there’s one more thing that Chael Sonnen pointed out for McGregor’s return to the Octagon. Further along in his recent YouTube video, he shared, “You’re going to put him as your main event. So, you’re going to put a guy in a five-round atmosphere, and that’s tough right there, because who are you going to put him against? Not only can it not be for a title, it can’t even be for a contendership.”

Yet, that may be the point. This wouldn’t be about rankings. It wouldn’t need a belt. This would be two legends fighting for legacy. For bragging rights. For that final, definitive answer of who won the war.

So, is Dana White’s mystery fight really McGregor vs. Diaz 3? Nothing is confirmed. But all the puzzle pieces seem to be sliding into place as the Stockton legend recently indicated that he’s ready to run it back with ‘The Notorious!

Conor McGregor receives a bold callout from Nate Diaz as Chael Sonnen ignites speculation about a trilogy

There’s one man already waiting in the wings, and he’s not being subtle about it. Nate Diaz, the king of callouts and chaos, has officially thrown his name into the mix.

In a recent appearance on the ‘Out Cold’ show on YouTube with legend, Chuck Liddell, Diaz confessed, “If I could fight anybody right now, I would fight — with all due respect to them — if Conor McGregor came back. S—, Conor McGregor.”

He even made it clear that there’s “nobody else” right now that could entice him back to the Octagon. According to the Stockton native, “I would like for him to come back and impress everybody first. Not that he needs to, but it would be great to see him back. Everybody’s hating on him. I’d like to beat up somebody on top of the world, and I think he’s got the capability to do that.”

Whether it’s personal pride or unfinished business, Diaz clearly wants that last dance. Even Conor McGregor recently teased that he has re-entered the UFC’s athlete testing pool. So, where does this leave us?

On one side, you’ve got Dana White hinting at a mind-blowing matchup. On the other hand, Chael Sonnen is throwing fuel on the McGregor vs. Diaz fire. And right in the middle stands Nate Diaz, loud, clear, and ready to run it back with ‘The Notorious.’

There’s no belt on the line, no title shot at stake. But who needs gold when legacy is the real prize? The only question left is: will Dana White finally play his wildest card yet? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!