The UFC boss today told UFC.com that win or lose, 145-pound champ Conor McGregor (19-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) will defend his belt after rematching Nate Diaz (19-10 MMA, 14-8 UFC) next week at UFC 202.
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The rematch was originally expected to take place at UFC 200 in July, but McGregor was removed from the fight card after failing to meet media obligations promoting the event.
“I wanted to exclusively focus on this”, said McGregor “so that should tell you how much this fight means to me, and I’ve been preparing accordingly”. “I think that Nate Diaz feels his brother [Nick] should have the fight at 170, but Nick is not going to come back and fight for the title right away”.
‘There are other guys deserving of a title shot’. Diaz stepped in on eight-days notice and ended the Irishman’s 15-fight winning streak.
“I believe we have to wait until August 20th to see what the outcome of that fight is [McGregor vs Diaz] and then we can make some plans”. Maybe he deserves – since we’re using this world “deserves” so much – maybe he deserves to cash out.
While some questioned whether Woodley had the clout to make such hefty demands, “The Chosen One” pressed on, even reaching out to St-Pierre about a potential showdown.
“That was why I was there [at UFC 200]”, said McGregor during the UFC 202 conference call.
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“I know Nate Diaz is fighting Conor McGregor and I would like to try and get the victor of that fight”, Alvarez said on CSN Philly’s Breakfast on Broad morning show on Wednesday. “I wanted to see if this mother f*cker [Frankie Edgar] comes through this and can do what he’s saying, well then it’s on. No one has ever done that”, Angle said. “Because, if I know he’s around and he’s thinking about fighting, and I don’t take that fight, I can’t honestly say I’m the best in the world”. “I didn’t put these words in his mouth”. He felt that the fans would want to watch Robbie Lawler fight against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, that it would be a more exciting fight, that I would fade in the later rounds and he felt like Robbie Lawler was going to take it home. And it came back and bit me in the ass.
