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UFC 196: Conor McGregor makes good on his claim to fight whoever, whenever UFC 196: Conor McGregor makes good on his claim to fight whoever, whenever
(about 1 hour later)
Conor McGregor is always on attack, a hard hitter who finds his target. He’s pretty dangerous once he’s inside the octagon, too.Conor McGregor is always on attack, a hard hitter who finds his target. He’s pretty dangerous once he’s inside the octagon, too.
Before the 27-tear-old Irishman became UFC featherweight champion in December, he had built a reputation as a guy who talked a good fight. That might sound like a dismissal of McGregor’s victories leading up to the stunning 13-second knockout that ended José Aldo’s decade-long unbeaten streak. But it is nothing of the sort. McGregor has cast himself in the vaunted tradition of his hero Muhammad Ali, in which the fight and the combative words leading up to it are tied together, a dizzying 1-2 combination. By the time an opponent steps into the cage, he’s absorbed so many verbal jabs from McGregor that he’s already off balance, set up to be knocked out.Before the 27-tear-old Irishman became UFC featherweight champion in December, he had built a reputation as a guy who talked a good fight. That might sound like a dismissal of McGregor’s victories leading up to the stunning 13-second knockout that ended José Aldo’s decade-long unbeaten streak. But it is nothing of the sort. McGregor has cast himself in the vaunted tradition of his hero Muhammad Ali, in which the fight and the combative words leading up to it are tied together, a dizzying 1-2 combination. By the time an opponent steps into the cage, he’s absorbed so many verbal jabs from McGregor that he’s already off balance, set up to be knocked out.
What’s no less impressive, though, is what happens when the psychological haymakers come McGregor’s way.What’s no less impressive, though, is what happens when the psychological haymakers come McGregor’s way.
No fighter in the UFC is equipped to wage a war of words with the man known as “The Notorious.” But fate can step forward with a punch to the gut. It happened just last week.No fighter in the UFC is equipped to wage a war of words with the man known as “The Notorious.” But fate can step forward with a punch to the gut. It happened just last week.
McGregor was aiming to make history this Saturday night. Less than three months after winning the 145-pound title, he was scheduled to challenge 155-pound champion Rafael Dos Anjos in the main event of UFC 196. But then Dos Anjos broke a foot in training, and less than two weeks before showtime in Las Vegas, the fight was off. So was history making.McGregor was aiming to make history this Saturday night. Less than three months after winning the 145-pound title, he was scheduled to challenge 155-pound champion Rafael Dos Anjos in the main event of UFC 196. But then Dos Anjos broke a foot in training, and less than two weeks before showtime in Las Vegas, the fight was off. So was history making.
McGregor (19-2) just rolled with the gut punch.McGregor (19-2) just rolled with the gut punch.
The UFC quickly came to him with a replacement opponent, but there was a catch. Though Nate Diaz fights as a lightweight, he felt he didn’t have time to properly cut weight to the 155-pound limit. Diaz wanted the fight to be at 165 pounds. “Make it 170,” McGregor responded, according to Ariel Helwani of Fox Sports and the MMA Fighting website. “Tell him to get comfortable.”The UFC quickly came to him with a replacement opponent, but there was a catch. Though Nate Diaz fights as a lightweight, he felt he didn’t have time to properly cut weight to the 155-pound limit. Diaz wanted the fight to be at 165 pounds. “Make it 170,” McGregor responded, according to Ariel Helwani of Fox Sports and the MMA Fighting website. “Tell him to get comfortable.”
And so it was that the recently crowned featherweight champ is taking his next fight at welterweight.And so it was that the recently crowned featherweight champ is taking his next fight at welterweight.
“Conor doesn’t care,” UFC president Dana White said in a hastily prepared promotional video for the new fight. “Conor says, ‘I will fight anybody, anytime, at any weight.’”“Conor doesn’t care,” UFC president Dana White said in a hastily prepared promotional video for the new fight. “Conor says, ‘I will fight anybody, anytime, at any weight.’”
As long as the money is right.As long as the money is right.
“The only weight I give a [expletive] about,” McGregor said during a press conference at the end of the week, “is the weight of them checks. And my checks are all super- heavyweight.”“The only weight I give a [expletive] about,” McGregor said during a press conference at the end of the week, “is the weight of them checks. And my checks are all super- heavyweight.”
Indeed, McGregor’s fight with Aldo drew 1.2 million pay-per-view buys, according to industry estimates. (The UFC does not reveal PPV numbers.) That would make it the second-biggest moneymaker in the promotion’s history, behind only a 2009 event that featured both pro wrestling crossover personality Brock Lesnar and longtime welterweight luminary Georges St-Pierre .Indeed, McGregor’s fight with Aldo drew 1.2 million pay-per-view buys, according to industry estimates. (The UFC does not reveal PPV numbers.) That would make it the second-biggest moneymaker in the promotion’s history, behind only a 2009 event that featured both pro wrestling crossover personality Brock Lesnar and longtime welterweight luminary Georges St-Pierre .
McGregor’s star power links up with money in much the same way his trash-talking dovetails with his fighting. As he’s risen through the ranks, he’s never missed an opportunity to flaunt the spoils of his success — his tailored suits, his gaudy watch, the “McMansion” he arranged for in Las Vegas for him and his training partners leading up to the Aldo bout. The latest UFC fight promo videos depict McGregor tooling around in a luxury convertible, distancing himself from the image, prevalent in MMA, of an athlete struggling to make ends meet. He’s left the rest of the game in his dust.McGregor’s star power links up with money in much the same way his trash-talking dovetails with his fighting. As he’s risen through the ranks, he’s never missed an opportunity to flaunt the spoils of his success — his tailored suits, his gaudy watch, the “McMansion” he arranged for in Las Vegas for him and his training partners leading up to the Aldo bout. The latest UFC fight promo videos depict McGregor tooling around in a luxury convertible, distancing himself from the image, prevalent in MMA, of an athlete struggling to make ends meet. He’s left the rest of the game in his dust.
“The game is on its knees,” McGregor said last week. “The game must hold seminars every weekend to pay for their training costs. And I am out here rallying around California in a car that spits fire, dressed like El Chapo, with anaconda on my feet. So I am in a league of my own here, ahead of everyone in the game by a country mile.” “The game is on its knees,” McGregor said last week. “The game must hold seminars every weekend to pay for their training costs. And I am out here rallying around California in a car that spits fire, dressed like El Chapo, with anacondas on my feet. So I am in a league of my own here, ahead of everyone in the game by a country mile.”
Diaz has what it takes to spoil the party. A veteran of 21 UFC fights, including a failed bid for the lightweight title three years ago, the 30-year-old Californian has the length and aggressive standup to put McGregor on his heels. And as a jiu-jitsu black belt with 11 submissions among his 18 UFC wins, he is a far more accomplished grappler than anyone McGregor has fought.Diaz has what it takes to spoil the party. A veteran of 21 UFC fights, including a failed bid for the lightweight title three years ago, the 30-year-old Californian has the length and aggressive standup to put McGregor on his heels. And as a jiu-jitsu black belt with 11 submissions among his 18 UFC wins, he is a far more accomplished grappler than anyone McGregor has fought.
But Diaz (18-10) has won just two of his past five fights, and twice in that time he’s been absent from the cage for more than a year. McGregor, meanwhile, is on a 15-fight winning streak, knocking out his opponents in all but two of those victories. He’s coming off a quick dispatch of the most dominant featherweight in the sport’s history. The Irishman has the crisper standup game. He’s been tested and persevered, whereas Diaz has shown himself to be more of a front-runner prone to fading when the going gets tough.But Diaz (18-10) has won just two of his past five fights, and twice in that time he’s been absent from the cage for more than a year. McGregor, meanwhile, is on a 15-fight winning streak, knocking out his opponents in all but two of those victories. He’s coming off a quick dispatch of the most dominant featherweight in the sport’s history. The Irishman has the crisper standup game. He’s been tested and persevered, whereas Diaz has shown himself to be more of a front-runner prone to fading when the going gets tough.
The American is a natural lightweight who has competed at welterweight before. But McGregor’s trainer, John Kavanagh, expects bigger things from his fighter. As he wrote back when the fight was still at 155 pounds, “You’ve seen Conor on salads. Now watch what he’s like on steak.”The American is a natural lightweight who has competed at welterweight before. But McGregor’s trainer, John Kavanagh, expects bigger things from his fighter. As he wrote back when the fight was still at 155 pounds, “You’ve seen Conor on salads. Now watch what he’s like on steak.”