The war of words has continued between UFC superstar Conor McGregor and welterweight fighter Nate Diaz following their press conference skirmish ahead of their main event battle at UFC 196 on Saturday.
Both men have differing reasons as to why McGregor slapped his opponent’s wrist when Diaz raised his fists during a staredown in Las Vegas on Thursday.
The incident was shared on YouTube by the UFC:
Appearing on Fox Sports 1’s FSLive: Jay and Dan (h/t Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting), both fighters participated in a split-screen interview that descended into a procession of expletives that reflected the obvious bad blood between the men.
“The man was afraid to look me dead in the eye,” said McGregor. “So he put a frame out in front of him and I quickly snatched it and broke his wrist. The medics are in with him now. His wrist will never be the same. Like his bum knee, like his bum leg.”
Diaz wasn’t impressed with Notorious’ comments, responding: “Yeah, you got a scared little [expletive] shot on the hand and [expletive].”
McGregor continued to provoke Diaz, saying: “My socks cost more than the whole suit you have on, you little bum. I could buy and sell you a hundred times.”
However, Diaz retorted: “You’re a rich kid. Rich kids shouldn’t fight ever. Real people fight. Real people fight. Not [expletive] rich kids. You were born rich.”
Diaz’s statement clearly upset the UFC featherweight champion, as the Irishman responded with a tirade:
[Expletive] you, you don’t know me. You don’t know where the [expletive] I came from. I’ll ride into Stockton and take everyone out. Bunch of snitches in Stockton. I never heard of Stockton in my life.
…
If he’s still conscious when he hits the mat I will crush his hips and pass his guard and mount him and strangle him.
The Californian took one last verbal swipe at McGregor, saying the Irishman got “choked out by two nobodies,” referring to McGregor’s two MMA career submission losses. “You were submitted by lames not even that long ago, it was like a week ago.”
The bout will be McGregor’s debut at welterweight in the Octagon, as he has jumped two weight divisions for the contest at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Rafael dos Anjos’ withdrawal through injury from his lightweight championship fight with McGregor opened the door for a clash with Diaz, and the Irishman looks physically prepared, appearing bigger and stronger. MMAjunkie’s Chamatkar Sandhu shared a picture of McGregor’s more muscular condition:
McGregor is the UFC’s primary star at the moment, but losing this fight would be a major blow to his attempts to unify weight division titles and make history.
Diaz’s fighting style will make the main event at UFC 196 an exciting affair, with both participants likely looking for the spectacular finish. Diaz is a jiu-jitsu black belt and was taught by Cesar Gracie, one of the best in the world, so he could apply pressure to McGregor in this area.
There is a chance McGregor will concede a portion of his speed at the heavier weight, opening the door for his dangerous opponent’s excellent boxing skills. Both men are capable of powerful, precise strikes and will be ready for a stand-up war.
The fight offers the chance of a lifetime for Diaz, and the scalp of McGregor would shoot his stock into the stratosphere.
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