A few months ago, Conor McGregor claimed to be “happy” with his career in the UFC and seemingly hinted at retirement. Dana White has always mentioned that he cannot force someone who doesn’t want to fight anymore, be it ‘The Notorious’ or Jon Jones. However, a lightweight fighter, Terrance McKinney, claimed that there is one big fight left in McGregor, and that’s against an old foe during an exclusive interview with Essentially Sports.

Terrance McKinney seems to admire Conor McGregor, which isn’t surprising given the impact he had not only in the UFC but in all of mixed martial arts. Looking back at the Irishman’s career, ‘T-Wrecks’ admitted that the former double champion raised the standard of what being a superstar is like, given that there aren’t too many of them now. This, in turn, has made it hard for others to make their mark.

“I think he set the bar too high. So now, people just… they feel like they’re not getting enough,” said Terrance McKinney as he sat down with Andrew Whitelaw during the exclusive interview with Essentially Sports. While star power could be a big issue, lightweight fighters claim there is a lot of improvement when it comes to the level of fighters on the UFC roster. The UFC now has the most technically sound and high-level fighters in its 30 years of existence. “But I think skill-wise, the UFC has gone up tremendously, and I think people need to appreciate it a little bit more,” he further stated.

But coming back to Conor McGregor, Terrance McKinney does not want Conor McGregor to retire anytime soon. Before he does that, the lightweight fighter wants the Irishman to consider competing in the most highly anticipated trilogy fight. While revealing that he caught up with Nate Diaz recently, McKinney claims a third fight between the two is the only logical fight that they should be competing in at this stage of their careers.

“We need the [Nate] Diaz trilogy. I just saw him, actually, like this weekend, and I was telling him. I was like, ‘We need that Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz 3,'” McKinney added during his conversation with Essentially Sports’ Andrew Whitelaw. “That’s the only fight to me that makes sense. That would do big numbers still for both of them.”

McKinney’s comments align with sentiments on social media and fan forums. On Reddit, one fan wrote, “I think no one did promote the UFC like Conor McGregor did!” Others noted the irony of McGregor’s repeated teases: “Conor McGregor teases a comeback for the 18th time.” The buzz is equally strong on X, especially after Nate Diaz recently posted “Forever in the game,” with fans immediately speculating that he was alluding to the long-awaited trilogy.

Well, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz have both called for a trilogy fight. They’ve spoken about it many times on social media, igniting excitement among fans. The Stockton native also expressed his wish to get back to the UFC just over a month ago.

Nate Diaz wants a UFC comeback to fight Conor McGregor

Nate Diaz has some plans in store if and when he gets the chance to make his UFC comeback. Dana White, in 2023, had already expressed having no problems with the Stockton native making his return, claiming that the UFC is Diaz’s “home.” The ex-UFC star has three opponents in mind – lightweight Ilia Topuria, BMF champion Max Holloway, and Conor McGregor.

“I’m staying at 170. I’ll fight 185 too… I’d like to fight that other guy [Topuria]. He’s really good, but he’s smaller than me… [Holloway] those are the guys right there that I would want to fight,” Nate Diaz stated on the ‘HJR Podcast’. “With time, for sure, whenever he’s [McGregor] back, I’m sure we’re going to fight. Me and him for sure have unfinished business. Got to happen.”

Meanwhile, McGregor’s comeback is still shrouded in uncertainty. Though he often hints at a return, like in a recent string of now-deleted social media posts about facing Michael Chandler, his actions don’t consistently match his statements. His social media game has faced some heat, especially when he pulled down a cringeworthy tweet during the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight that fans slammed hard.

Outside the octagon, McGregor’s legal issues keep piling up. In November 2024, a civil court delivered a verdict, finding him guilty of sexual assault in 2018 and awarding damages to the victim. Since then, he has dropped sponsorship deals and watched the Proper No. Twelve whiskey brands cut their licensing ties with him. Rumors are swirling that he’s eyeing a shot at the Irish presidency in 2025, sparking speculation about his real game plan ahead

So what do you think? Should McGregor and Diaz finally settle the score in a historic trilogy fight? Drop your comments below.