When it comes to Nate Diaz, absence most definitely makes the heart grow fonder. The Stockton, California, native who drifts between the UFC welterweight and lightweight divisions has been the picture of inactivity over the last few years, fighting just five times since the beginning of 2016. Yet he's seemingly more popular than ever. 

In his last fight, back in June, Diaz experienced a decisive decision loss to top welterweight contender Leon Edwards. That setback pushed him to an ugly 4-6 in his last 10 fights and a less-than-stellar 20-13 overall. Those aren't the kind of grades you rush home to show mom and dad, but that doesn't seem to matter to Diaz fans, either. 

Contrary to his prolonged stints of inactivity, and contrary to his unimpressive win-loss record, he remains a deity among his doting supporters, who are always wondering when and more importantly who he'll fight next.  

At this stage, those are tough questions to answer, but here are five fights we'd love to see for the ever-popular Californian going forward. 

Vicente Luque

In earlier chapters of his career, Diaz was reluctant to fight anybody but the biggest names in the sport: stars like Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal. More recently, however, the fan favorite has seemingly shifted his focus to fighters who win and win often. Edwards, who entered his June fight with Diaz on a nine-fight unbeaten streak, certainly met that description. So does Vicente Luque.

Luque is on a four-fight win-streak, highlighted by submission defeats of former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and ranked contender Michael Chiesa in his last two appearances. While he certainly isn't a household name at this juncture of his career, his recent success in the Octagon has seemingly caught Diaz's eye.

After his win over Chiesa, Luque called for a fight for Diaz. Last week, Diaz shared a clip of that callout on Twitter, seemingly affirming his interest in the fight.

As far as the rankings are concerned, the matchup makes no sense—but neither did the Edwards fight. Luque is ranked No. 4 at welterweight, while Diaz doesn't appear in the top-15 of any division. In terms of its potential for entertainment, however, the fight makes all sense in the world.

Conor McGregor

Diaz has fought McGregor twice previously, both times in 2016. Diaz won the first fight, in March of that year, handing the Irish superstar his first UFC loss with a second-round rear-naked choke. The pair then engaged in an immediate rematch in August of 2016. McGregor won that fight—which clocked in as one of the year's best—with a hard-earned majority decision victory.

A tie-breaking trilogy fight with McGregor is and always has been the biggest fight available to Diaz. That tiebreaker could have been booked countless times since their second fight, but it still hasn't materialized.

In 2021, when both men have lost three of their last four fights, it arguably makes more sense than ever. Both need a big win. Both are running low on credible options as a result. And if their recent Twitter exchanges are any indication, their rivalry is still a heated as ever. 

The fight likely won't be an option for a while as McGregor is recovering from a leg injury, but it literally sells itself. 

Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier is on top of the world. After two stoppage wins over McGregor, he's more popular than ever, and at UFC 269 in December, he'll challenge Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight championship—arguably the most prestigious title in MMA today.

So why would he fight Diaz, an unranked fighter on a losing streak? Because he likes money. Diaz brings eyes and dollars to any fight he's a part of, and Poirier knows this. That's why he's repeatedly expressed openness to fighting the fan-favorite.

Poirier and Diaz also have history. The pair were briefly scheduled to fight in late 2018, but the fight fell through. Since then, both have made it clear that they have a score to settle.

Needless to say, Poirier would most likely accept the fight—whether he wins or loses against Oliveira this December. Diaz, meanwhile, could hardly ask for a better matchup, as Poirier is popular, relevant, and always down for a scrap.

Tony Ferguson

As we've already covered, Diaz has recently shown an interest in challenging fighters on impressive win-streaks—guys like Edwards and Luque. If we're being frank, though, he doesn't deserve those opportunities. He's on a losing streak himself and hasn't picked up back-to-back wins since he defeated Michael Johnson and McGregor in late 2015 and early 2016.  

Generally speaking, the UFC matchmakers pair fighters on losing streaks with other fighters on losing streaks. While Diaz has historically gotten special treatment based on his popularity, he may soon have to accept a bout with another struggling fighter—somebody like Tony Ferguson. 

At the height of his career, Ferguson was on a twelve-fight unbeaten streak and was widely considered the best lightweight in the world outside of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Regrettably, he's fallen on tough times, experiencing decisive losses to Justin Gaethje, Oliveira and Beneil Dariush in his last three outings. That skid puts him in a similar position to Diaz. He's got a significant following, but he just hasn't been able to produce wins. The fight makes sense for that reason alone. 

The real appeal of the bout, of course, is the way the two men match up on paper. Both are lethal submission specialists. Both are dangerous on the feet. Both have a habit of getting into wild, bloody brawls. Book it for a pay-per-view main card, and for the love of God, make it a five-rounder.

Kevin Lee

This isn't going to be the most popular item on this list, but hear us out.

Kevin Lee, like Diaz, drifts between the welterweight and lightweight divisions, seemingly undersized for the former and too big the latter. Lee, like Diaz, is a big name who was once mentioned as a potential opponent for the likes of McGregor and Nurmagomedov. Lee, like Diaz, has been hot-and-cold over the last few years. Lee, like Diaz, has struggled to stay active of late, having fought just twice since the beginning of 2020. Lee, like Diaz, has never been shy when it comes to pre-fight trash talk.

Everything about this fight makes sense. The buildup would be non-stop entertainment, the fight itself would almost certainly be a thriller, and the winner would immediately ricochet back into relevance in whatever division the action occurred in. 

"The Motown Phenom" against the fighting pride of Stockton. Book it.