Being locked inside a cage with another man can sure make an Irishman change his tune … in 10 minutes or less. Indeed, Conor McGregor wasted little time trashing his most recent opponent, Nate Diaz, once the re-worked Welterweight UFC 196 pay-per-view (PPV) main event was announced.
That’s in large part because “Notorious” had just 11 days to get all his digs in after Lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos was forced to withdraw from the event with a fractured foot (see a pic here). And, well, it’s what McGregor is really, really good at in addition to punching faces (and spending money).
Looking back, though, there was a thin thread of respect in McGregor’s trash talk (definitely not here, though). Back-handed, of course, but it was present nonetheless, especially at the post-fight press conference, where the Featherweight champion publicly devoured his humble pie “like a champion.“
He had no choice, really. For the first time ever, McGregor talked all the talk, but could not walk the walk, losing the 170-pound showdown with a “chicken heart” tapout in the second round (watch video highlights here). McGregor has “defiantly” vowed to return to the Octagon a more improved fighter after the setback — perhaps as soon as UFC 200 this summer — and defend his 145-pound title (preferably against Jose Aldo).
In the meantime, let’s take a quick trip back to recap Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz “Before and After: In Their Own Fighting Words” in the video above. And for complete results from UFC 196: “McGregor vs. Diaz,” including play-by-play updates, click here and here.