It’s already time to run back one of the biggest bouts in the history of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), even though a very important person thinks it’s a “crazy idea.” In breaking news that will probably shock no one, Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor will headline the historic UFC 200 pay-per-view (PPV) event, which takes place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., July 9, 2016.
“UFC Tonight” made the bout official earlier this evening, reporting that it will again take place at Welterweight. That’s not this only twist, though: McGregor will apparently forfeit (at least for a time) the Featherweight title he won in 13 seconds and never defended, meaning that former 145-pound champion, Jose Aldo, will battle ex-Lightweight kingpin, Frankie Edgar, for the now-interim title (more on that bout shortly).
McGregor, who was expected to vie for the Lightweight title at UFC 196, was instead submitted by Diaz when the Stockton slugger stepped in — at the requested weight of 170 pounds — for the injured Rafael dos Anjos. Diaz — who preferred to rematch McGregor at 155 pounds — is adamant that UFC hand-picked him to lose when dos Anjos went down with an injury, dashing a potential “super” fight with retired 170-pound champion, Georges St-Pierre.
Nonetheless, Diaz seems more than willing to keep cashing those monstrous UFC checks. And it doesn’t get much bigger than a UFC 200 main event against one of the biggest draws in the sport today.
In addition to Diaz vs. McGregor 2 and Aldo vs. Edgar, also confirmed this evening to compete at UFC 200 are Cain Velasquez vs. Travis Browne, Joe Lauzon vs. Diego Sanchez and Takanori Gomi vs. Jim Miller. We’ll pass along the latest UFC 200: “Diaz vs. McGregor 2” fight card and rumors as soon as possible.