UFC 200 Fight News: Diaz Says McGregor Should Not Be Ashamed for UFC 196 Loss'; Fighters Predict Another Diaz WIn
Last March 5th at UFC 196, former lightweight title contender Nate Diaz was able to shock the mixed martial arts world by stopping featherweight world champion Conor McGregor.
Diaz finished "The Notorious" via second round submission, despite taking the fight with only 11 days' notice. Later, it was also revealed that the 31-year old Stockton, California native was on vacation in Cabo, Mexico, when he was called in to replace lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos, who was out with a broken foot.
Many credit Diaz's superior ground game as the main key to his win, handing McGregor his first loss in the UFC since entering the company in 2013. For his part, the Irish fighter described the recent setback as a "bitter pill," but according to Diaz, it should not be something that McGregor should be worried about.
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Speaking to FOX Sports, Diaz believes McGregor "will be alright," since he himself has fought and at times lost to the toughest fighters in the game.
"You can lose to some lame ass or you can lose to a real (expletive) G fighter," Diaz said. "I don't think it will hurt him too much. He'll be all right."
Meanwhile, some fighters have already made their predictions for the highly anticipated rematch between Diaz and McGregor at UFC 200 on July 9th in Las Vegas.
In a report by Bloody Elbow last March 28th, oddmakers already have McGregor as a -155 favorite, while Diaz is a +125 underdog.
But apparently, the odds for the said contest do not matter to some fighters. In a report by the Daily Star, one of Diaz's teammates, kickboxing superstar turned MMA fighter Joe Schilling says the rematch would transpire like how the first fight did.
"I think it's going to be the same fight," Schilling said. "I think it's so obvious the holes in Conor's game, they were all over the place."
From a general standpoint, former UFC welterweight title contender Dan Hardy made his prediction, as well, but noted that it will be a 'more competitive fight' this time around.
"I still see Nate winning it, probably fourth round," Hardy said in a Q&A session for UFC Fight Night 86 in Zagreb, Croatia. "I just think his resilience, and obviously the training that he's doing for the triathlons, at the moment means his conditioning is way up there."
