Days before Nate Diaz steps into the Octagon again with Conor McGregor, the furor around their rematch has reached a fever pitch. From Diaz’s self-assured quips about how McGregor “got his ass beat” to McGregor’s extensive talk of the apparently equall…
Days before Nate Diaz steps into the Octagon again with Conor McGregor, the furor around their rematch has reached a fever pitch. From Diaz’s self-assured quips about how McGregor “got his ass beat” to McGregor’s extensive talk of the apparently equally extensive changes in his training camp, the bravado came to a head on Wednesday when a press conference erupted (NSFW language) into a beverage-throwing melee and ended early.
With Diaz and McGregor headlining, UFC 202 features one of the biggest rematches in the promotion’s history.
Diaz threw a big wrench into McGregor’s meteoric rise when he choked the featherweight champion to a tap in their welterweight bout in March. It was McGregor’s first loss in the UFC, bringing his 15-fight winning streak to a stunning end.
On the eve of their rematch, we revisit five of the most exciting rematches in UFC history.
The wait is finally over and UFC 202 will go down tomorrow night (Sat., August 20, 2016) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Featuring an anticipated welterweight rematch between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor, the event’s hype was blown up to a new level when the two sides got into a bizarre bottle-throwing spectacle
The wait is finally over and UFC 202 will go down tomorrow night (Sat., August 20, 2016) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Featuring an anticipated welterweight rematch between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor, the event’s hype was blown up to a new level when the two sides got into a bizarre bottle-throwing spectacle at Wednesday’s pre-fight presser.
But despite that buzz, many are still picking the bigger Diaz to beat McGregor again he brutally submitted him in the second round of their first match-up at UFC 196.
Who did we pick to win the two main bouts of UFC 202? Find out below.
Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor:
Mike Drahota:
This is a huge fight for the UFC in not only that it’s arguably the biggest PPV of the year, but also one where the reputation of its biggest star is on the line, at least in some capacity. Yes, McGregor will still be featherweight champion if he loses, but a second straight defat to Diaz will undoubtedly rip away some of his mystique, something that has already happened since UFC 196.
The excuses were there then and they will be there now, so all McGregor can do to quiet the haters is win. In order to do so, he has to keep up a high volume of leg kicks, which Diaz has largely been susceptible to throughout his career. He also has to keep his cardio sustainable by not going for the knockout with every blow on the iron-chinned Diaz. Diaz, meanwhile, is the much bigger fighter, is more experienced and technical on the ground, and looks great after actually having a full training camp this time around.
After the presser fiasco, it would seem Diaz and his team are in McGregor’s head somewhat, similar to Ronda Rousey’s weigh-in outburst before her devastating loss to Holly Holm. I can’t disregard that here. I’m picking Diaz by second round submission.
Rory Kernaghan:
The rematch between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor was boosted by the crazy press conference scuffle earlier this week, but what happens when they really do get it on? It’s quite a tough one, with numerous factors influencing their first meeting.
If McGregor were to show up in the same condition (cardio) as last time, I’d pick Diaz 10 times out of 10, but I don’t believe this to be the case. As we saw from last fight, their styles match very well on the feet, so for me this is very much a gut-based pick.
Going against the grain, I’m going to pick Conor McGregor for the TKO in round three. This wasn’t an easy pick to make, especially considering their last fight, but I just can’t shake the feeling of a revenge knockout in the making here.
Mike Henken:
I must admit that I have constantly gone back and forth with my prediction for this fight. In my opinion, Diaz is without question the more well-rounded fighter. His boxing is crisp and voluminous, and his cardio is second to none which often allows him to implement a pace that simply breaks his opponents.
When it comes to the ground, Diaz’s submission skills are world-class, and I’m not sure that McGregor will have been able to catch up in that department over the last six months. On top of all of these things, Diaz will be coming into this bout on the heels of a full training camp which could make him even more dangerous . With that being said, I’m going with my gut here, and my gut says that the Irishman will get the job done.
Diaz’s path to victory appears to be much clearer, but I think McGregor will come much more prepared this time around. Given that this fight means so much to him, I feel as if his cardio will be better than ever, and his strategy will be on my point. He’ll need to be able stick and move and land combinations consistently for five rounds here in order to get his revenge. He’ll also likely have to keep the fight standing. I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m picking McGregor by unanimous decision.
As is the new normal with the UFC, the actual weigh-ins for UFC 202 took place early on Friday. The staredowns and show will unfold later in the evening. This process gives the fighters crucial extra hours to rehydrate from their cuts to the contracted…
As is the new normal with the UFC, the actual weigh-ins for UFC 202 took place early on Friday. The staredowns and show will unfold later in the evening. This process gives the fighters crucial extra hours to rehydrate from their cuts to the contracted weights.
All 24 participants made weight for the evening.
Nate Diaz, one-half of Saturday’s main event, was one of the first men to step on the scale in Las Vegas, weighing in at 170.5 pounds. McGregor came later and was under the limit at 168 pounds.
The rematch is officially set, and the rivals are eager to do battle.
Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira weighed in close to the same time and came in at 205.5 pounds.
The light heavyweight showdown will likely elevate the winner to a title tilt against Daniel Cormier later in 2016. Johnson came up short in his interim title shot against Cormier in May 2015, but he leveled the champ with a monstrous right hand early in the fight. Teixeira has had one shot at the gold and lost to Jon Jones.
One of the other premier bouts on the card is a welterweight showcase between Donald Cerrone and Rick Story. Cerrone told ESPN.com’s Eric Tamiso that after UFC 202 he plans on returning to 155 to pursue the lightweight title. Should he stay at 170, the fight with Story will still have divisional implications for both men.
Story checked in at the 171-pound limit, and Cerrone came in at 170 even.
Holding the weigh-ins early allows the fighters to get the difficult part of cutting weight over earlier than in the past, and the additional recuperating time should continue to deliver better in-cage results for the fans. It has been an excellent step for everyone involved, although the dog and pony show that occurs in the evening is still a part of the production.
UFC 202 is set and ready to go down Saturday. Strap in.
UFC 202 Weigh-In Results
Nate Diaz (170.5) vs. ConorMcGregor (168)
Anthony Johnson (205.5) vs. Glover Teixeira (205.5)
Rick Story (171) vs. Donald Cerrone (170)
HyunGyuLim (171) vs. Mike Perry (169)
Tim Means (171) vs. SabahHomasi (170.5)
Cody Garbrandt (136) vs. TakeyaMizugaki (136)
Raquel Pennington (135.5) vs. Elizabeth Phillips (134)
Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor may have done a good job adding pay-per-view buys to their UFC 202 main event Saturday with a chaotic press conference earlier in the week, but the two fighters could be facing a lawsuit for their actions.
Per Damon Martin …
Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor may have done a good job adding pay-per-view buys to their UFC 202 main event Saturday with a chaotic press conference earlier in the week, but the two fighters could be facing a lawsuit for their actions.
Per Damon Martin of Fox Sports, UFC President Dana White said “the wheels are already in motion” for a lawsuit after Diaz and McGregor began throwing water bottles, cans, etc. and shouting expletives at each other during the press conference.
(Warning: The following video has NSFW content.)
On Thursday, White elaborated on the situation to TMZ Sports: “And the word is that in this thing, somebody was injured. So, there’s gonna be a lawsuit. … Who knows how it’s gonna play out.”
White did not specify who was filing a lawsuit, but he also said “I guarantee both of these guys are gonna get massive fines, and there’s probably going to be a hearing after the fight.”
Since the press conference took place in Las Vegas, which is also where Saturday’s event will take place, the Nevada State Athletic Commission will be in charge of issuing discipline to McGregor and Diaz.
Per Martin’s report, White said McGregor and Diaz “could be (facing) suspensions, community service, it’s gonna be ugly. … It’s going to cost them both a lot of money, a lot of headache and hassle. They’re both in big trouble.”
Before the fireworks at the press conference even started, McGregor showed up 30 minutes late to the event that was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET.
This is a huge fight for McGregor, whose stock has taken a hit because of his actions earlier this summer and after losing to Diaz in March. A second loss, even in a higher weight than his traditional featherweight class, will not help his marketing power after everything he has done in the last three months.
Everyone has an opinion on the rematch set to take place at UFC 202 between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz on Saturday.
Even your buddy who watched only UFC 100 and 200 probably has a take that he’d like to share with you.
King Conor will get…
Everyone has an opinion on the rematch set to take place at UFC 202 between ConorMcGregor and Nate Diaz on Saturday.
Even your buddy who watched only UFC 100 and 200 probably has a take that he’d like to share with you.
King Conor will get his redemption. Diaz will do it again. Either way, there are a lot of opinions on who will win when these two run back their UFC 196 encounter.
It’s a highly anticipated rematch for a reason. McGregor built himself into one of the UFC’s premier stars during his rise to the featherweight title. Now everyone wants to know if he’s bitten off more than he can chew in taking on a career lightweight at 170 pounds once again.
Here’s a look at how the two match up, along with the latest odds from Odds Shark for the fight:
The onus to make adjustments is on McGregor in this one, but he’s such a talent that a win isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
According to the odds, he’s technically the favorite, and there’s reason to believe he will put it all together against Diaz this time out. McGregor‘s power and athleticism are still legitimate threats. As a result, Lyle Fitzsimmons of CBS Sports believes the Irishman will wind up with another TKO victory on his resume:
He’s still the faster man. He’s still a superior athlete. And he’s still going to be able to play offense for a significant amount of time on Saturday night. The guess for the second go-round is that his shots will do enough damage to sap Diaz‘s strength, and he’ll avoid disaster while finishing things his own way.
Although everyone remembers the choke that ended the fight, people sometimes forget that McGregor was landing on the feet early in the bout. He opened up a 28-23 advantage in significant strikes in the opening round.
The problem was that he couldn’t keep up his pace while trying to knock Diaz out in the early rounds.
If McGregor is going to pick up the win, his athleticism will have to play a key role, as he uses his quickness and movement to sidestep Diaz‘s linear attack and counter on the move.
The key for a McGregor win is patience. He can’t play to the knockout; he has to be efficient with his energy and focus on winning rounds. If he’s able to do that, his more technical striking and superior movement will be enough to turn the tables on Diaz.
The Case for Diaz
The case for Diaz is fairly simple. We’ve already seen it in action.
At this point in his career, Diaz is who he is. He’s going to use good boxing on the feet to pick apart opponents from range with his jab. He’s going to sport spotty takedown defense, knowing that he’s one of the slickest submission artists off his back. He’s going to display relentless cardio that allows him to survive deep into fights.
Add in a chin that is capable of taking heaps of punishment and it’s clear why the first fight unfolded the way it did.
Diaz wasn’t a defensive genius the first time around. McGregor hit him with some punches that would have buckled any featherweight. The problem is that Diaz isn’t a featherweight. He’s a lightweight who is capable of competing in the welterweight division.
When McGregor‘s power couldn’t end the fight early, he was in trouble. Diaz capitalized.
We’ve already seen how Diaz can beat McGregor, and it begins with fighting to his strengths, which is why Patrick Wyman of Bleacher Report is picking Diaz:
Diaz‘s path to victory is much simpler: keep moving, stay off the fence and stick the jab in McGregor‘s face over and over and over again. That should wear the featherweight champion down and create opportunities for a late finish.
Many more things have to go right for McGregor‘s game plan to work than Diaz‘s, or McGregor has to land a knockout shot against one of MMA‘s most durable fighters. That’s less likely than Diaz pumping the jab against a shorter fighter and sucking the fiery McGregor into a brawl.
Diaz has lost eight fights in his UFC career, but only one of those losses has come by anything other than decision. If McGregor is going to beat him, it might have to be by outstriking him for five rounds. That’s a difficult scenario to envision.
Prediction
There’s an attraction to picking McGregor.
Maybe it’s the law of attraction that he loves so much. Maybe it’s the bravado that he brings into the cage. Maybe it’s the natural love for a comeback story.
It explains why he’s favored against a bigger fighter who already beat him once.
But from an analytical perspective, it’s easier to believe that Diaz will wind up with his hand raised again. The Stockton, California, native just so happens to be the perfect disaster for McGregor, whose greatness might not be enough to transcend all of the distinct disadvantages he has.
Getting a full training camp to get ready for Diaz will help. McGregor is an intelligent fighter who prepares well for his opponents and might not be as good at adjusting as he’d have people believe.
Even so, the pick has to be Diaz.
Prediction: Diaz wins via fourth-round submission.
On Friday, the road to the highly-anticipated UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2 pay-per-view event winds down, as the final piece of pre-fight business will go down when the official weigh-ins take place.
You will be able …
https://youtu.be/OOVj1Zkj55M
On Friday, the road to the highly-anticipated UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2 pay-per-view event winds down, as the final piece of pre-fight business will go down when the official weigh-ins take place.
You will be able to watch the official weigh-ins for the event that features the rematch everyone has been waiting for — Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz II — right here at MMANews.com.
Check back here inside this post and use the YouTube player embedded above to watch the public weigh-ins as they go down live from Las Vegas at 7pm/4pm ET/PT.
The results of the actual official weigh-ins, which took place in the morning local time in Las Vegas on Friday, can be seen below.
UFC 202 Main Card (PPV at 10pm ET)
Nate Diaz (170.5) vs. Conor McGregor (168)
Anthony Johnson (205.5) vs. Glover Teixeira (205.5)
Rick Story (171) vs. Donald Cerrone (170)
Hyun Gyu Lim (171) vs. Mike Perry (169)
Tim Means (171) vs. Sabah Homasi (170.5)
UFC 202 Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1 at 8pm ET)
Cody Garbrandt (136) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (136)
Raquel Pennington (135.5) vs. Elizabeth Phillips (134)
Artem Lobov (144.5) vs. Chris Avila (146)
Randa Markos (116) vs. Cortney Casey (116)
UFC 202 Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass at 6:30pm ET)
Neil Magny (171) vs. Lorenz Larkin (170.75)
Colby Covington (171) vs. Max Griffin (170.5)
Alberto Uda (185.5) vs. Marvin Vettori (185.5)
Join us here again on Saturday evening for live round-by-round results coverage of the UFC 202 PPV!
As is the new normal with the UFC, the actual weigh-ins for UFC 202 took place early on Friday. The 