NATE DIAZ IS adamant that the UFC are only hoping for one outcome when he faces Conor McGregor in Las Vegas later this month.

At UFC 202 at the T-Mobile Arena on 20 August, Diaz and McGregor will square off for the second time this year in the event’s headline bout — a rematch of Diaz’s second-round submission of McGregor at UFC 196 back in March.

Just three weeks after his defeat to Diaz, McGregor had his shot at revenge confirmed for UFC 200 on 9 July, which was then rescheduled for UFC 202 as a result of the Dubliner’s dispute with UFC bosses over media obligations.

In an in-depth new interview with Megan Olivi on UFC Fight Pass ahead of the rematch in 18 days’ time, Diaz says that the UFC are desperate for McGregor, their most valuable star, to get back to winning ways, while simultaneously suppressing the increasing popularity that the 31-year-old Stockton native has enjoyed since his UFC 196 triumph.

However, Diaz admitted that while he was keen to take some time out after his previous meeting with McGregor, the money on offer was too good to turn down.

“When it first got booked, I was like, ‘Man, they want to get me right back in there, try to win this back and weed me out again. That’s how I felt,” said Diaz.

I was like, ‘Can I just sit back for eight months and soak up some popularity and some exposure, go on vacation and do what I’ve got to do? They were like, ‘We want this’, and I’m like, ‘Why so quick?’

“But whatever. Then the deal got done. That payday and this payday in such a short amount of time, you can’t pass that up, so let’s do it. But I felt like these guys want to weed me right back out, hoping that I lose. They better hope I lose because if I win this one, I’m really taking over.”

Diaz and McGregor squaring off at a press conference in Las Vegas last month. Source: John Locher

Despite competing in the UFC since 2007, Diaz (19-10) will be aiming for three wins in a row with the organisation for just the third time when he takes on McGregor. The former Ultimate Fighter winner also overcame Michael Johnson back in December.

He said: “I believe I’m the superior martial artist. I’m just going to go in there and get the job done and not get anything I don’t expect. My plan is to win and do good, work hard and win the fight.”