Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz: F–k the Belt, Let’s Fight
Nate Diaz knew he would fight Conor McGregor someday. He just didn’t know “someday” would come so quickly.
Last Tuesday, with just 11 days to prepare, Diaz (18-10 MMA, 13-8 UFC) was announced as McGregor’s (19-2, 7-0) opponent at UFC 196, replacing the injured Rafael dos Anjos. Chances are, you knew the backstory behind that original fight – McGregor, the Featherweight Champion, was moving up to 155 pounds to challenge for dos Anjos’ Lightweight title, as part of his plan for global domination. Unfortunately, a broken foot changed all that.
Instead, McGregor will move all the way up to Welterweight (170 pounds) to take on Diaz. But if you think Saturday’s fight is lacking in storyline – or acrimony – please direct your attention to Diaz’s post-fight interview from December, in which he rips McGregor for “taking everything I worked for,” calls him a “motherfucker” and proclaims “I’m gonna fight your fucking ass.”
Well, Diaz got his wish.
“I knew it was a big fight, and that’s why I called for it after my last fight,” he says. “This fight had to be done. When [UFC] called to negotiate, I knew it was a big fight, and they knew it was a big fight, but they wanted to play it down like it wasn’t so they could hold out. I knew it was going to be the biggest fight, because we’re the biggest names on the roster.
“Two million people watched our pre-fight press conference on YouTube as it happened,” he continues. “It was the most-watched press conference ever. So we’re already in the lead of everything.”
Of late, anything McGregor touches turns to gold, so it’s no surprise that UFC 196 still has a big-fight feel despite the late main event switch. There might not be any titles on the line, but McGregor feels the combat sports world stops every time he steps in the Octagon. To him, it doesn’t matter who stands across the cage so long as the end result is a payday.
“It’s always a super-fight when I’m in town,” McGregor says. “It’s the numbers and straps life. Take out the straps; it’s still that numbers life. That’s it. I’m here for a fight and a check, so fuck the belt.
“This is always history every time,” he continues. “The gates keep rising, the pay-per-views keep rising, the attendance. Everything just keeps rising, so it’s always history when I step in that Octagon.”