Nate Diaz holds two advantages over Conor McGregor at UFC 196

MANILA, Philippines – Although betting odds are in favor of featherweight titleholder Conor McGregor to win his welterweight showdown against Nate Diaz in the headliner of the UFC 196 pay-per-view event on March 6 (March 5 in the US), the American stalwart holds two aces under his sleeve going into the marquee match-up. 

McGregor was originally penciled to face Rafael Dos Anjos for the UFC lightweight championship and was aiming to become the first UFC fighter to hold two world titles at the same time, but the Brazilian was forced to withdraw due to a foot injury.

After the sudden pullout of Dos Anjos, many in the UFC roster offered themselves as replacement foes for the featherweight champion. 

However, only one man struck the jackpot in the McGregor sweepstakes as Diaz was given Dos Anjos’ spot to face the 27-year-old Irishman at UFC 196, which is scheduled to be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We figured that this would be the most exciting fight. A lot of people wanted to fight Conor McGregor, but Diaz wanted the fight. We felt this was the fight to make and the fight that fans wanted to see,” UFC president Dana White said during an appearance on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” on Wednesday, February 24. 

When the bout between McGregor and Diaz was announced, numerous cageside observers raised their eyebrows on the weight class, where both men will compete. 

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, White explained that Diaz demanded that the much-awaited showdown should take place at a catchweight of 165 pounds before McGregor decided to go all out as a full-fledged 170-pound encounter.

“Nate says that he wants it at 165. Now this kid (McGregor) is moving up from 145 to 155,” he stated. “I called Conor and told him that he (Diaz) can’t do it 160 pounds. He wants 165 pounds. Conor says, ‘You tell him is 170!’” 

Moving up to another division is not a new scenery to McGregor as he has done it before when he defeated Ivan Buchinger for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship’s version of the lightweight belt via first-round knockout in December 2012. 

However, McGregor has never fought as high as the welterweight division in his 21-fight career. 

Although Diaz is a known mainstay of the lightweight bracket, the 30-year-old native of Stockton, California fought 4 times as a welterweight, winning his first two outings against the likes of Rory Markham and Marcus Davis in 2010 before yielding to top contender Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald in 2011.

Aside from his advantage in size and weight, Diaz also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the tutelage of Cesar Gracie.

Diaz has won 11 of his last 18 victories by submission and was able to compel several notable names to tap, including Manny Gamburyan, Kurt Pellegrino, Melvin Guillard and Takanori Gomi.

“I came here to fight. They asked me to fight. I said yes from the beginning. I don’t know what problem they have. I came here and ready to fight any weight class. It doesn’t matter,” Diaz stressed during the pre-UFC 196 press conference on Thursday, February 25.

Even though he is riding high on an impressive 15-fight winning streak, McGregor was once seen having difficulties against high-level grapplers. 

McGregor’s two losses in his record came via first-round submission, bowing down to Artemij Sitenkov’s kneebar in January 2008 before tapping out to Joseph Duffy’s 38-second arm-triangle choke in November 2010.

The 5-foot-8 native of Dublin, Ireland was able to survive the toughest test of his prizefighting run when he squared off with Chad Mendes in July 2015.

Mendes opened a cut near McGregor’s right eye with a slashing elbow, and piled on the punishment with ground-and-pound from inside guard in the first round. 

After spending most of the second period defending himself from his back, McGregor found a way to return to his feet and then launched several straight left hands and a kick to the body to get the stoppage.

Diaz is entering the welterweight contest as the 3-to-1 underdog, but he presents a difficult task at hand for McGregor. 

“Kill or be killed, that’s what I’m coming with. I didn’t have a fight camp, but it’s all good,” Diaz said. – Rappler.com