Canelo Alvarez has refused to rule out a boxing fight with former UFC star Nate Diaz.
Diaz has had a hugely successful career in the UFC but has now moved on from the promotion after choking out Tony Ferguson in his final fight last September. The Stockton native is now eyeing a number of lucrative boxing fights and he has been linked with some of the sport's biggest names including Alvarez and rising star Jake Paul.
Last week boxing promoter Eddie Hearn revealed he had held talks with the UFC veteran over signing him to Matchroom Boxing, with a view to a future showdown against undisputed champion Alvarez. And in trademark style, the Mexican has insisted it is not in his current plans but could open up later down the line in his career.
He told Inside Fighting in a brief response: "We'll never know, but right now he's not on my [radar]. Not right now, I have goals. Maybe later, maybe in the future but not right now." Alvarez is currently out of action himself after requiring hand surgery following his trilogy win over Gennady Golovkin.
Despite being frequently subject to call-outs from celebrity fighters, Alvarez has suggested he will continue to follow the traditional boxing path for which he has big plans to secure redemption at 175lb. The 32-year-old lost last year to Dmitry Bivol when making a switch up in weight, but a rematch appears to be firmly in his plans for the year.
He could also attempt to make a debut in the UK where he could defend his undisputed 168lb titles against John Ryder, who is gunning for a career-toughest test on Alvarez's return. Diaz equally is understood to be keen on forcing his way into fights with the biggest names, and is planning multiple boxing outings this year.
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After beating Ferguson, Diaz immediately announced his intentions to step away from the UFC and regularly teased a match-up with Paul. However in a fresh update on Diaz's boxing ambitions, Hearn claimed that the star sees a future fight with Alvarez a key part of his plan.
“It was just a friendly conversation to say, ‘What are you thinking?’ And Nate Diaz’s mindset is, ‘I want to fight Canelo Alvarez.’ And who knows?” Hearn told the MMA Hour when revealing he had held talks with Diaz. “It’s very difficult to give Nate Diaz a shot in a Canelo Alvarez fight. But again, Nate Diaz can box. I’m not saying he’s going to compete with Canelo Alvarez.
“But he’s got a big fanbase and I think there’s a fascination behind seeing these guys do something different. It’s the unknown. What’s going to happen? I have no idea. At least with [Francis] Ngannou against Anthony Joshua, you’ve got two huge punchers where something could happen."
