SCRAPP! FIGHT MAGAZINE
January - 2016
29
with Pettis. Cerrone would
fall back into the depths
of the division alongside
several names like injured
but undefeated sensation
Khabib Nurmagomedov
and surging Tony Fergu-
son.
So what then becomes of
McGregor’s quest to reign
at 155 as well as 145?
Sure, he had some un-
complimentary things to
say about Dos Anjos, but
their rivalry doesn’t seem
compelling, certainly not
at the marketable level of
one with Cerrone.
But someone else on
the UFC on Fox 17 card
would make for an abso-
lutely riveting tilt with Mc-
Gregor. It’s a long-shot, a
giant ‘What If’ dream, yet
Matchmaking 101 says it
is a huge seller.
Provided he leaves Orlan-
do with a ‘W’ and other
scenarios play out, jump
McGregor into the light-
weight ranks against …
Nate Diaz.
Sit back and imagine, if
you will, those conference
calls, press conferences,
and weigh-in square-offs if
these two are locked into
a battle.
Diaz has been somewhat
of a part-time player, hav-
ing fought only five times
since 2012 heading into
this weekend’s matchup
against Michael Johnson.
It’s certainly no gimme that
Diaz defeats Johnson, who
has won four of his last
five, with a split-decision
setback to Beneil Dariush
being his only setback.
Although he has lost three
of his last four, Diaz has
left a trail of defeated
bodies behind when fo-
cused and motivated –
Gray Maynard, Jim Miller
and Donald Cerrone. Plus
he still holds one of the
UFC’s greatest all-time fin-
ishes. Rude, certainly, but
his double-middle finger/
bicep-flex triangle choke
submission of Kurt Pel-
legrino is a classic.
Diaz and McGregor are
perfect fits and rivals, vir-
tually cut from the same
cloth. Their game plans in
the cage are reasonably
similar. Neither are huge
power punches as they
operate on a volume ap-
proach yet they have KO
abilities as Maynard and
Jose Aldo found out the
hard way. Diaz would like-
ly have a fair-sized edge in
jiu-jitsu, though many are
set up by attrition via bar-
rages of strikes.
Both can play the face
and heel roles. Both have
fanbases that eat up ev-
erything they say and do.
The rival fanbases will hate
everything the other one
does.
McGregor is a company
guy who wears a suit and
tie, has character that res-
onates with celebrities and
advertisers, and yet he can
still get down in the mud
and muck of a nasty rivalry.
Diaz is anti-establishment,
wouldn’t wear a suit at his
own funeral, hates pretty
much anyone who isn’t
from the ‘209’ and would
relish the opportunity to
create a stir at every stop
along the McGregor-pow-
ered hype train.
It’s a fight that probably
won’t happen, but if it did,
one can only imagine the
buzz.
