McGregor V Diaz II: How it will go down
With UFC 200 soon to come, I predict how it's original main event between Dublin born Conor McGregor and Stockton's own, Nate Diaz will go down. With the cancellation of that bout, the two men headline UFC 202 in late August. The first time the two men locked horns produced one of the biggest shocks in UFC history as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Nate Diaz sunk in a rear naked choke after wobbling McGregor with a good combination. In a drastic attempt to prevent being floored by Diaz, McGregor shot for a double leg and ultimately gave up his back after vicious ground and pound by the Ultimate Fighter winner. This result contributed to the opinion that MMA mathematics doesn't work when Ronda Rousey, strong favourite to retain her Bantamweight championship against underdog Holly Holm, foolishly chose to 'stand and bang' with her and was eventually was knocked out with a highlight reel head kick which sent social media into Armageddon. The same theory can be applied to Holly Holly's title defence against Miesha 'Cupcake' Tate when at the same pay per view, Tate dethroned 'The Preacher's Daughter' by submission in the final round.
McGregor, after the bout explained to UFC commentator Joe Rogan that he was 'inefficient' with his energy and hit a lot of 'shoulder' due to Diaz's long, unorthodox style of movement. I believe not only was McGregor looking for that one punch finish all to often, but also began to feel uneasy when he realised the shots he was throwing at Diaz wasn't going to finish him, unlike the former competitors he faced like José Aldo and Chad 'Money' Mendes. This wasn't very surprising as both Nick and Nate Diaz are known for their almost 'granite' like chins, with Nate only knocked down by a Josh Thompson head kick.
We cannot forget that Diaz came from a yacht in Mexico and didn't even have a camp to prepare for McGregor and i believe Nate Diaz on a full camp can beat 'The Notorious' once again, and that really does completely derail McGregor's plans for the future in MMA. One cannot argue that McGregor only had 11 days notice that he was fighting Diaz, much to the American's disbelief, so i believe if he can work on his ground game and get more comfortable at the unusual weight of 170lbs he can maybe take Diaz to a decision. We have recently seen McGregor bring Jiu Jitsu black belt Dillon Danis to Straight Blast Gym but for all of Danis' knowledge, he can't help McGregor reach Nate's level in just a few months. We must also remember that McGregor was certainly winning the bout, regardless of weather or not he was putting him in danger, as he tagged Diaz frequently before being countered and rocked himself.
Ultimately it will be an important contest for both men as McGregor looks to reignite the aura he possessed and for Diaz, he will certainly be looking to create his own mystique.
McGregor, after the bout explained to UFC commentator Joe Rogan that he was 'inefficient' with his energy and hit a lot of 'shoulder' due to Diaz's long, unorthodox style of movement. I believe not only was McGregor looking for that one punch finish all to often, but also began to feel uneasy when he realised the shots he was throwing at Diaz wasn't going to finish him, unlike the former competitors he faced like José Aldo and Chad 'Money' Mendes. This wasn't very surprising as both Nick and Nate Diaz are known for their almost 'granite' like chins, with Nate only knocked down by a Josh Thompson head kick.
We cannot forget that Diaz came from a yacht in Mexico and didn't even have a camp to prepare for McGregor and i believe Nate Diaz on a full camp can beat 'The Notorious' once again, and that really does completely derail McGregor's plans for the future in MMA. One cannot argue that McGregor only had 11 days notice that he was fighting Diaz, much to the American's disbelief, so i believe if he can work on his ground game and get more comfortable at the unusual weight of 170lbs he can maybe take Diaz to a decision. We have recently seen McGregor bring Jiu Jitsu black belt Dillon Danis to Straight Blast Gym but for all of Danis' knowledge, he can't help McGregor reach Nate's level in just a few months. We must also remember that McGregor was certainly winning the bout, regardless of weather or not he was putting him in danger, as he tagged Diaz frequently before being countered and rocked himself.
Ultimately it will be an important contest for both men as McGregor looks to reignite the aura he possessed and for Diaz, he will certainly be looking to create his own mystique.
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