Nate Diaz is going back to welterweight to fight Conor McGregor.
That’s because Rafael dos Anjos broke his foot and was forced to withdraw from his “Notorious” title fight at the upcoming UFC 196 pay-per-view (PPV) event, which takes place on March 5, 2016 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cardio is always a concern when a fighter takes a bout on short notice (just ask this guy), but that should be a problem for Diaz, since he’s going to have an early night next month in “Sin City.”
That’s according to McGregor’s head coach, John Kavanagh (via The42.ie):
“You must be ready for every type of opponent. As for Nate, if you look at his last fight when he beat Michael Johnson by decision, Michael comes from a great team but he is quite new to striking, yet he still managed to land a lot of shots. Josh Thomson badly lit Nate up when they fought in 2013. The Diaz brothers are known for walking through shots but Nate doesn’t quite have Nick’s ability to absorb punishment. It’s a different ballgame when you face somebody who has been striking for their entire life, as opposed to a wrestler who’s still trying to develop their striking. I think it will be an early night for Nate.”
Diaz (18-10) was knocked out by “The Punk” at UFC on FOX 7.
The promotion has been accused of “fishy” matchmaking when it comes to the Diaz fight (by this former champion), as both Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis were available to compete at UFC 196, but were passed over in favor of Stockton’s finest.
Any chance Diaz will make Kavanagh — and a lot of other doubters — eat these words?