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:
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.
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