Rory MacDonald Zeroed in on BJ Penn, Would “Love to Fight” Nick Diaz Next

There seems to a be a line forming of fighters that want to welcome Nick Diaz back to the Octagon when he’s eligible to return in 2013.

Former Ultimate Fighter competitor Josh Koscheck has called for a fight with Diaz as soon as he can get licensed again, and now you can add Rory MacDonald to that list as well.

Now, MacDonald isn’t calling out Diaz, especially considering the fact that he still has to face B.J. Penn on Dec. 8 at UFC on Fox 5, but when asked about facing the Stockton, Calif., bad boy, the young Canadian isn’t backing down from the challenge.

“I would fight him,” MacDonald said about facing Diaz. “(He comes back ) in February, and I might be ready to fight in like March or something like that. He might be my next fight after B.J., you never know how it works.”

Diaz has never been a quiet one when speaking his mind about potential opponents, and that includes UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, who is one of MacDonald’s teammates.

The talk doesn’t motivate MacDonald to face Diaz, however, it’s more about the challenge of the fight. As a matter of fact, MacDonald gets why Diaz says what he says.

“I don’t think there’s a target on people who talk. That’s the fight game, you’ve got to pump up the fights,” MacDonald stated.

If there is any additional momentum behind a possible MacDonald/Diaz pairing at some point down the road it could be a past fight that would put family pride on the line.

MacDonald soundly thumped Nate Diaz a couple of fights ago, and it’s an easy sell to put him in the cage with the elder Diaz brother looking for a little bit of revenge. Whatever the idea behind the fight would be, MacDonald is all for it.

“We’ll see, I’d love to fight him,” MacDonald said.

First things first, however, MacDonald will face B.J. Penn at UFC on Fox 5, and Diaz will wait until after Feb. 2 to re-apply for a fight license after his one-year suspension is lifted for testing positive for marijuana.

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