Irish UFC fighter Conor McGregor has raised the prospect of a third fight with bitter opponent, Nate Diaz, as rumours about his match-up with Floyd Mayweather rumble on.

McGregor labelled the rivalry with jiu-jitsu black belt Diaz as “a great chapter” in his life in a tweet on Monday.

Stockton southpaw Diaz sent shockwaves through the UFC when he beat McGregor with a rear-naked choke submission victory at UFC 196 in March, 2016.

The loss was McGregor’s first in the UFC and snapped a six-year win streak that included five successive performance of the night awards for wins over the likes of Dennis Siver, Chad Mendes, and Jose Aldo.

Five months later, McGregor secured revenge with a five-round decision win in the Diaz rematch at UFC 202.

Diaz and McGregor engaged in verbal warfare throughout the build-up to both fights. They threw bottles of water at each other during a tense press conference and Nate even accused Conor of steroid abuse.

Now McGregor has called for a third fight to settle their rivalry, precariously poised at 1-1. "I look forward to the trilogy fight down the road," he told his followers on social media.

The news comes amid speculation that McGregor, whose popularity has transcended mixed martial arts and infiltrated rival combat sport boxing, could challenge former five-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather.

Nevada State Commission chairman Anthony Marnell recently claimed that a Mayweather vs McGregor crossover bout would be "hard to not approve" in the State, while reports indicate a boxing rules contest could materialise in time for the summer.