Nate Diaz calls for the UFC to 'free' Conor McGregor as Irishman struggles to book his first bout since July of 2021: 'No one gonna help you but you'

MMA star Nate Diaz called for the UFC to 'free' his rival Conor McGregor as the Irishman struggles to book his long-awaited return fight.

McGregor, who broke his tibia against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, recently expressed his frustration with the promotion as he eagerly tries to step back into the Octagon.

On Saturday, Diaz took to X (formerly Twitter) to empathize with McGregor. Diaz reposted a quote from his foe and related it to his own experiences.

'This was me for years before Conor even got there,' Diaz wrote. 'They want u to die before u get out [of] these contracts it's up to u to make something pop. No one gonna help you but you.'

'Free Conor,' he continued. 'It's St. Patty's day in this b**ch.'

Nate Diaz empathized with Conor McGregor, who is struggling to book his UFC return fight 

McGregor has not fought in the Octagon since breaking his tibia in the summer of 2021 

McGregor's return fight is expected to be against No. 6 lightweight contender Michael Chandler. The UFC made them coach opposite each other in a season of The Ultimate Fighter in 2023, seemingly to parade the upcoming fight.

In December, McGregor announced that he would fight Iron Mike on International Fight Week in July, but the UFC has yet to make it official. Earlier this month, he also revealed that he asked to fight Chandler in July and then close out his trilogy with Diaz on Mexican Independence Day in the Sphere.

'I was hoping for a December date, then a January date, then it keeps getting pushed back,' McGregor said in the quote Diaz reposted. 'The I lose interest and stop training for a while. Not stop [completely] stop training, I'm always training, but stop full training and [start] drinking a little bit.

'So I'm going to go back, regroup, get full tested, and get ready to rock. The date's going to come and then I'll be ready to rock.'

McGregor is expected to face Michael Chandler in his next fight as fans await his return 

Diaz submitted McGregor at UFC 196 before McGregor avenged the loss five months later 

Their rivalry began when Diaz called McGregor out before fighting him on short notice in 2016. Diaz, who replaced Rafael Dos Anjos, shocked the world by submitting McGregor in the second round.

Four months later, McGregor earned a majority decision to even their score on his way to capturing the lightweight title against Eddie Alvarez later that year.

In McGregor's absence, Diaz left the UFC after winning the final fight in his contract against Tony Ferguson in September 2022. He has since boxed Jake Paul and recently booked to box fellow ex-UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal on June 1.

McGregor has two more bouts in a six-fight deal he signed before facing Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018. After returning from his boxing fight against Floyd Mayweather, the former champ-champ lost to Nurmagomedov and won against Donald Cerrone before back-to-back TKO defeats to Poirier.