This time yesterday, Conor McGregor was preparing for a shot at the lightweight title.
24 hours later and that’s out the window and he’s readying himself for his first ever bout at welterweight.
Overnight, the UFC officially announced the replacement headliner for UFC 196 and it’s one that is sure to thrill everyone with ‘The Notorious’ being matched up with Nate Diaz for the March 5 event.
. @thenotoriousmma vs Nate Diaz Saturday March 5th on PPV!!!! pic.twitter.com/76e6JGBeCS
— danawhite (@danawhite) February 24, 2016
With just eleven days’ notice for Diaz, the fight has been made at 170 lbs rather than at 155 lbs which McGregor had been preparing for.
The Irishman will continue to feature as one half as the main event as McGregor vs. Diaz has been awarded precedence over the UFC women’s bantamweight title fight between Holly Holm and Miesha Tate (the first time in over a decade that a non-title fight acts as main event ahead of a title fight).
Dana White made the announcement on Sportscenter on Tuesday night.
“We figured this would be the most exciting fight,” White said. “It’s the fight that Conor really wanted. A lot of people wanted to fight Conor McGregor, but Diaz wanted the fight and we figured this was the fight to make and the fight that the fans wanted to see.”
The UFC was left with no shortage of options to step in against McGregor but they finally arrived at Diaz, believing it was the biggest moneymaker of all on the table.
“We called Jose Aldo, Jose Aldo turned the fight down,” White said. “We called Frankie Edgar, Frankie Edgar turned the fight down. We called ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, (he) absolutely accepted the fight – would love to take the fight. B.J. Penn said he wanted the fight. A lot of guys wanted this fight, but we ended up with Nate Diaz. We felt this was the fight to make and the fight the fans wanted to see.”
The press conferences over the next eleven days are sure to be legendary with the promo-cutting abilities of both McGregor and the outspoken Diaz setting up an epic run-in for UFC 196.
