Report | Nate Diaz and UFC discussing UFC 227 return bout

Nate Diaz‘s return to the Octagon is one of the most talked about topics in MMA. That said, discussion about the fan favorite’s return have always been mired in the realm of the hypothetical, as he and the UFC can never seem to agree on the pertinent details of his comeback.

From the sounds of it, that could change this summer. According to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Diaz and the UFC have recently been in communication surrounding a potential return to action at UFC 227, which is targeted for August 4th in Los Angeles, California. According to Okamoto’s report, the two parties discussed this date as recently as last week.

While this is undeniably exciting news for Diaz fans, we should be careful to taper our expectations, as this is not the first time the fighter and the promotion have reportedly been close to coming to an agreement. It was just a few months ago, after all, that Diaz was reportedly being considered as an opponent for UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley.

Diaz has not fought since August of 2016, when he gave up a close decision loss to Conor McGregor in a massive welterweight showdown. In his next most recent bout, Diaz shocked the world by submitting McGregor in the second round of a wild fight. This win over McGregor was preceded by decision win over Michael Johnson. Diaz is 19-11 overall.

At present, UFC 227 is expected to be headlined by a bantamweight title rematch between champion TJ Dillashaw, and the man he won the title from, former champion Cody Garbrandt. No other bouts have been made official for the card at this time, though that is likely to change in the coming weeks.

If Nate Diaz returns to the UFC’s Octagon at UFC 227 on August 4 in Los Angeles, who do you want to see him fight?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/1/2018.