Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion Conor McGregor came face-to-face with Nate Diaz for the first time on Wednesday (Feb. 24, 2016) during the UFC 196 pre-fight press conference after the duo was booked to scrap on March 5, 2016, following the withdrawal of Rafael dos Anjos due to a broken foot.
As expected, the verbal warfare was in full effect, as both McGregor and Diaz had plenty to say about their upcoming fight.
In the end, however, Nate was no match for the mouth of “Notorious,” as the fiery Irishman had words for days, blasting the Stockton slugger for acting like a “cholo gangster” every day of the week except on Sunday, when he takes the time to take bike rides with the elderly and help train kids.
“I like Nick’s little bro, I do. I honestly like Nick’s little bro. I mean, how can you not like him? He’s like a little cholo gangster from the hood, but at the same time he coaches kids’ jiu-jitsu on a Sunday morning and goes on bike rides with the elderly. He makes gun signs with the right hand and animal balloons with the left hand. So you’re a credit to the community.”
Diaz beat out the likes of Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone for the opportunity to face McGregor in a bout that will take place in the welterweight division.
Still, Conor doesn’t expect much of a challenge, as he insisted that his speed and power will be too much for Nate, who will get knocked out in under five minutes. And despite their back-and-forth, McGregor admits he does respect Nate for not being a “pussy” like everyone else.
“I feel that his repetitive foot patterns and his pull motions are too predictable. He’ll be too slow in there. The speed will stifle him. His soft body and his lack of preparation; he will not be able to handle the ferocity. I feel he will be put away at the end of the first round. I respect Nate, don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of pussys in this game, and he is not one of them. Don’t get me wrong, there is a respect game between us. But, it’s business in there and business is business. He will be knockout out in the first round.”
Furthermore, Conor said Nate still tried to weasel out of the fight by making too many demands — like money and weight — before signing on the dotted line. In the end, Conor claims he told UFC officials to give him whatever he wanted to make the fight happen.
And happen it will, as long as nothing crazy happens in the next 10 days.
To see the first staredown between McGregor and Diaz click here. And to see the revised UFC 196 line up click here.