UFC 196 Main Card
Conor McGregor (19-2) vs. Nate Diaz (19-10)
There was lots of chaos after Rafael dos Anjos had to withdraw from his scheduled fight with “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, with reactions of all sorts. McGregor, however, remained largely quiet – until his replacement was named. Nate Diaz was the one chosen to step up on short notice and challenge McGregor, and while there’s no title or history on the line anymore, there’s still plenty of intrigue. While Diaz hasn’t seen the same type of success lately that McGregor has, writing him off in this fight would be a mistake, and an oversight of the talent Diaz brings to the table. Diaz’s striking, while not known for knockout power, is technically vicious, and McGregor will need to adjust to fighting a larger opponent than he’s used to, as well as not having the reach advantage he often enjoys. Also, Diaz will not be affected by McGregor’s personality and verbal barbs leading up to the fight, as many seemingly have been in the past. That being said, McGregor has been as impressive of a roll as we’ve ever seen in MMA, and Diaz is now stepping into the Octagon with him without the benefit of a training camp.
Prediction: While I doubt Diaz gets knocked out, I simply don’t see a way Diaz can finish McGregor, while I can see multiple ways Conor can finish Diaz. McGregor wins by TKO.
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