It’s official. UFC Featherweight kingpin Connor McGregor would get another crack at revenge against Stockton’s Nate Diaz during the main event of UFC 200 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The much anticipated rematch, which would again be contested at welterweight, was announced via the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) feature show “UFC Tonight”.
UFC President Dana White, however, preferred a different matchup for the brash Irishman.
“After the fight, Lorenzo (Fertitta) and I went up to Connor’s house that he’s renting here in Las Vegas and started talking about what are you thinking, what’s next?,” White explained during an episode of ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
“And he was obsessed – obsessed – with fighting Nate Diaz again”, he added.
White, who’s notorious for never mincing words, continued,” Obviously, Lorenzo and I tried to argue with him and say, ‘let’s go back down to ’45 and defend your title, or if you really want the Diaz fight that bad, do it at ’55.’ But he wants to fight at 170. Even his coach, (John) Kavanagh, tried to get him to get off this rematch and off the 170-pound fight, but it’s what he wanted. And he’s going to get it.”
McGregor and Diaz first clashed last month, during the UFC 196 main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at Las Vegas, Nevada.
The ‘Notorious One’ appeared to outstrike the much bigger Diaz in an action-packed first round, until succumbing to a rear naked choke with 4:12 seconds left in the second round.
Meanwhile, in the co-main event of the evening, former 145lb Champion Jose Aldo, will face perennial contender Frankie ‘The Answer’ Edgar for the Interim Featherweight title— since the current champion is fighting at a different weigh class.
White confirmed the match up with MMAJunkie, “We’ll make Frankie and Jose the interim title, and whoever wins that fight will fight Conor McGregor for the 145-pound title. Win, lose or draw in this fight against Nate Diaz, he will go in and fight either Jose or Frankie – whoever wins at (UFC) 200.”
UFC 200 will take place on July 9 (July 10, Manila Time). Khristian Ibarrola, Inquirer.net