UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has promised to hit UFC 196 opponent Nate Diaz with a half-moon capoeira kick, and said he will “ping it across his head” during the main event on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Notorious appeared on the Conan O’Brien Show ahead of the fight and described how he will approach his opponent in the Octagon at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The TV show shared the footage of the interview on YouTube, as the superstar demoed the kick for the watching audience:
The build up to the fight has been explosive, with both men making disparaging comments about each other.
McGregor has previously correctly predicted how he will put opponents away, earning himself the nickname of “Mystic Mac.”
The Irishman predicted exactly how he would end Jose Aldo’s unbeaten streak in his last bout when he earned the lightweight championship strap, as reported by Claire Healy and James Edwards of the Irish Mirror.
This time, McGregor said the Meia Lua capoeira kick will be prominent in the fight on Saturday, and it is a technique he is “very good at” and is “getting better at.”
Both fighters have provided plenty of entertainment in the build-up to the battle after a skirmish broke out at the UFC 196 press conference.
The incident was shared on YouTube by UFC:
McGregor and Diaz were also involved in a heated interview after their altercation; the pair traded insults and threats with one another on Fox Sports 1’s FSLive: Jay and Dan (h/t Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting).
Notorious said his opponent was “afraid” to look him in the eye, while Diaz retorted the Irishman is “scared” of him.
Fox Sports Live shared the full interview on social media:
The bout is delicately balanced, but only McGregor has something to lose on Saturday. He has become the UFC’s major crossover star equivalent to Ronda Rousey, and he will be expected to win comfortably in certain quarters.
However, Diaz’s jiu-jitsu style is impressive, and he will have the technical ability to beat McGregor at the MGM Grand.
Notorious has significantly bulked up for this welterweight encounter—jumping two weight classes—and looks more physically imposing than in his 13-second demolition of the legendary Aldo.
If McGregor’s speed is compromised by his newly-acquired bulk, the door will be open for Diaz to cause a major shock at UFC 196.
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