Be careful what you wish for. Only 25 days after Nate Diaz choked out Conor McGregor at UFC196, the promotion booked the two fighters in an immediate rematch at UFC 200 in July. Two times in four months, the MMA world will be blessed with a Stockton vs. Dublin scrap inside the Octagon.
Not only will McGregor vs. Diaz get run back, it will once again be contested at 170 pounds. The reason? McGregor has made it his life mission to get his win back from Diaz. McGregor has become obsessed with redeeming his soul and his reputation after Diaz slapped the taste of his mouth then proceeded to choke him out with ease on the mat.
Right now McGregor views his soul floating in the leftover bong water of Nate Diaz. Until McGregor defeats Diaz, the UFC’s featherweight champion’s aura will just float in circles.
According to McGregor’s head trainer John Kavanagh, the Irishman has been thinking about nothing but Diaz since he entered the locker room after UFC 196
“When we got back to the changing room after the fight, a rematch with Diaz was already being discussed. A defence of Conor’s featherweight belt was also mentioned, but as the hours drifted by, the frustration of not doing himself justice began to take hold and grate.
Conor chased this rematch. That’s how it has come about. He’s much more concerned about trying to give a perfect representation of his ability than he is about material things like belts or money. That’s just a fact. Money is certainly not a motivating factor anymore because he has already made plenty of it.”
McGregor not about money? Kavanagh continued
“Conor believes that the last fight didn’t accurately reflect the skills and ability he possesses, so he’s eager to address that. He ended up harassing UFC president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta on a daily basis for a rematch. This is the fight that’s of most interest to him right now.”
Humble in victory and defeat per McGregor, Kavanagh laid out the path to victory for his fighter at UFC 200
“Conor’s cardio wasn’t as it should have been, but there was certainly no complacency. We didn’t train any differently for the fight. I believe it was more a case of there being a strategy error i.e. trying to stop a bigger man who’s known for having a strong chin with every single punch.
When you’re landing punches on any opponent, it gets tiring. There’s no two ways about that. With a strategy adjustment, the fight is going to play out in a similar manner to that first round, but this time it will continue throughout the contest. I do believe Conor is the more skilful fighter and the first round was evidence of that. But we cannot make the same mistake by trying to remove his head with every single punch.”
