Conor McGregor was set to fight Robbie Lawler for the welterweight title at UFC 200. Instead, Nate Diaz submitted him and upset some best laid plans.
Dana White had another Conor McGregor superfight in store for UFC fans had ‘The Notorious’ defeated Diaz in his 170lb debut.
That contest was scrapped, however, when McGregor gave Diaz everything he had only to be rocked with a couple of big punches and finished off on the mat. That result has led to McGregor v Diaz II and left Lawler to defend his welterweight strap at the slightly less prestigious UFC 201, in Atlanta.
Perhaps there is some residual resentment from Lawler as he certainly tore into the Dubliner during an interview on Atlanta’s WSB-TV.
Essentially, ‘Ruthless’ suggested that McGregor knew he was done for after those Diaz punches and went for a takedown that was never going to work. Lawler suggested that Diaz did McGregor a favour by tapping him out but declared he would not have been so accommodating. Lawler began:
“I wasn’t too worried about [a potential fight with McGregor]. Obviously, that was a big fight. He’s a big draw, but it wouldn’t have been good for him.”
Asked ‘How so?’, Lawler replied:
“Because if I hurt him, I wasn’t taking his neck… [I would have taken] his soul.
“I’m a lot different than most people. He found a way out and Diaz took his neck and was nice to him.”
If @Ruthless_RL fought @TheNotoriousMMA at #UFC196, things would’ve been different….. ? ➡️ https://t.co/otrP634ie6https://t.co/dvn3fLJQ8y
— UFC (@ufc) June 9, 2016
Asked if he thought McGregor was soft, Lawler replied, “I’m just telling it like it is and how I saw it.”
All the while, Lawler’s next opponent – Tyrone Woodley – sat opposite and listened. Lawler was laying down markers to both men.
