Georges St-Pierre has no interest in a proposed lightweight fight against Nate Diaz at UFC 227 on Aug. 4, despite the UFC's efforts to book the matchup.
Depending on how things play out, however, the longtime welterweight may have interest in a lightweight title fight.
Earlier this month, UFC president Dana White publicly stated he wanted St-Pierre and Diaz to meet at UFC 227 in Los Angeles. It appears neither fighter is anywhere near accepting the bout, however.
In an interview with MMAJunkie, Diaz bluntly said he is "not fighting that fight." Now, St-Pierre has told ESPN the same.
"There was a rumor about me fighting Nate Diaz, however it's not true," St-Pierre told ESPN. "I never agreed to that. Nate is an excellent fighter, but I have nothing to gain by fighting him.
"If I were to dominate him, people will say I'm a bully. If it's a competitive fight, I will be criticized because they will say I should have destroyed him. There is no way to look good in this fight."
A fight that would interest St-Pierre, however, is the winner of a potential lightweight title fight between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. That fight is not booked, but is a strong possibility later this year.
Nurmagomedov (26-0) claimed the 155-pound title at UFC 223 last month (and actually called out St-Pierre afterward). McGregor (21-3), a former two-weight champion, hasn't fought in MMA since November 2016. He is also currently facing legal issues in Brooklyn for attacking a UFC bus last month.
White told ESPN he is scheduled to meet with McGregor later this week in Liverpool, England.
A championship bout between those two would be the UFC's biggest fight in 2018, and St-Pierre is confident he could make 155 pounds for a potential date with the winner.
"For me, that is a much better fight," St-Pierre said. "It's a much tougher fight. It's more of a win-win situation.
"If I was driven by money, I would take the Nate Diaz fight. But I'm not obsessed with money. Of course, that would make money because he is a big name. But even though I believe I am a very bad matchup for him -- right now, that's the easiest fight I can take -- I want to fight for legacy."
St-Pierre, 37, returned from a four-year layoff to win the UFC's middleweight championship against Michael Bisping in November. He vacated the title the following month after being diagnosed with the digestive disorder colitis.
St-Pierre says he's still dealing with the effects of that and is not yet ready to start a training camp. If the UFC booked Nurmagomedov against McGregor, that would provide plenty of time to possibly face the winner.
"Khabib called me out after his last fight and he's an amazing fighter, but I just feel like if I stepped in right now, it would be damageable to my health," St-Pierre said. "The 155-pound division has a lot of contenders that deserve a title shot. I have health issues to take care of first.
"If I was successful [in winning the lightweight title], I would be the only athlete in the sport to win three titles. It's never been done before. Legacywise, it would be huge. Moneywise, it would be huge as well. It would be much more advantageous than fighting Nate Diaz."