Most people probably aren’t giving Nate Diaz a big chance to defeat Conor McGregor when the two collide this weekend (Sat., March 5, 2016) in the main event of UFC 196 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Especially since the Stockton slugger is stepping into the fight on just 11 days notice for an injured Rafael dos Anjos (details here).
But, there are some who think Nate could pull off the upset. Chief among them is Frankie Edgar, who says he won’t be too surprised if Diaz goes into “Sin City” and spoils the party.
“I don’t know, man, I think Nate could go in there and spoil the party, and then [McGregor] has to come back down to 145,” Edgar said Monday on The MMA Hour (via MMA Fighting). “I think that’s best case scenario.”
Sure, it would be ideal for Frankie if McGregor loses since it will most likely mean the Irishman will have to drop back down to featherweight and defend his strap against him, putting his lightweight championship dreams on hold.
Still, selfish reasons aside, “The Answer” does give Nate a legit chance.
“I give him a real shot. His pressure and volume is just tough to deal with for anybody. You know, Conor’s biggest thing is range and length, and he doesn’t have it in this fight,” said Frankie. “A southpaw against southpaw, I think a lot could happen there.”
“I think he has to win this fight the same way he always does,” Edgar said. “Just, pressure. You’ve got to put pressure on Conor, and he’s got to take the kicks away as much as possible. Conor is definitely crafty. He has many different kicks, and [Diaz] has to put the pressure, get close enough to negate the kicks, and just be himself.”
Still, some believe the odds are stacked too high for Diaz, as he is going to come into the fight with no training camp whatsoever. He is, however, in shape thanks to his triathlon preparations.
Anyone have the same confidence in Nate that Frankie seems to have?