March - 2016
SCRAPP! FIGHT MAGAZINE
8
1.
The projected su-
perfight between
featherweight titlist
McGregor and lightweight
champ Rafael dos Anjos was
nixed when the latter pulled
out sighting a broken foot.
With the card in dire straits,
the promotions head hon-
chos went searching for a
reputable and money fight
worthy replacement. That
stand-in manifested in the
mould of Diaz. The Stock-
ton Calif., native took the
fight on eleven days’ no-
tice; no camp, no training,
no nothing (double negative
accepted). Regardless of the
money on offer, that per se
warranted consideration for
a title shot if he turned the
tide in his favour, which he
did.
2.
Diaz (19-10 MMA,
14-8 UFC) effectu-
ated what no other
UFC combatant had been
able to accomplish, when,
in the second stanza of their
epic encounter he put the
brakes on the surging freight
train of “The Notorious” via
rear-naked choke. Follow-
ing that titanic trouncing, he
not only ended the 15-fight
win streak of the 27-year-old
McGregor (19-3 MMA, 7-1
UFC), he also handed the
company’s most prized asset
his sole defeat since taking
up residency at the Zuffa-
based promotion.
3.
The Ultimate Fight-
ing Championship
(UFC) is both a na-
scent promotion as well as a
going concern, and as such,
the business of making busi-
ness (money fights) is fore-
most on their minds. Love
or hate him, over the years,
alongside his older brother
Nick, the 30-year-old has
proven to be a fan favourite,
which is evidenced through
his style of fighting, ride or
die attitude, F-bombs ga-
lore, maverickism towards
the media, UFC et al. In ad-
dition, his in/out cage an-
tics, good or bad make for
great viewing/reading. Long
story short, he is one half of
MMA’s anomalous duo, and
if given the requisite push,
would appeal to the casual
fan as well as the uniformed.
Now that’s money talking.
4.
The Cesar Gracie
fighter was the vic-
tim of a one-sid-
ed drilling courtesy of dos
Anjos back in December
2014. However, he’s since
rebounded; putting a clinic
on vaunted 155-pounder
Michael Johnson. That be-
ing said, Diaz wrecked dos
Anjos’ original opponent
(McGregor), so an argument
should (not could) be made
that since the Irishman was
allowed to move up a weight
class and jump the queue
straight to a title shot, then
Diaz, a natural lightweight,
should likewise be afforded
the same luxury. Besides,
what lucrative fights are out
there for dos Anjos and the
UFC to take at 155? None.
The money fight is Diaz.
5.
Finally, the Mc-
Gregor fight was
Diaz’ fifth outing in
the hard as nails 170-pound
division. At present, he’s
3-2; an indication he’s more
than capable of hanging
with ‘em. Incumbent wel-
terweight champ “Ruthless”
Robbie Lawler is presently
without an opponent for his
next outing. Tyron Woodley
and Stephen Thompson are
waiting in the wings, and
they can wait that little bit
longer. Carlos Condit’s back-
and-forth bloodfest with
Lawler is one for the history
books, but he lost, as was
the scenario against then-
champ Georges St-Pierre. So
for now, that rematch can
perch nicely on the back-
burner. What makes sense
(even Dana White alluded to
this), money and entertain-
ment wise, is a Diaz vs. Lawl-
er matchup; it’ll blow the
roof off the MGM for sure.
To further plead his case,
“Mystic Mac” was promised
Lawler had he taken care of
business, so why not Diaz?
