IF THIS FIGHT ever happens, Conor McGregor may finally meet his match when it comes to trash-talk.
Nate Diaz is back this weekend and he has been as honest and up-front as ever in his pre-fight interviews ahead of tomorrow night’s lightweight bout against Michael Johnson.
Diaz, a former UFC and WEC title challenger, will be fighting for the first time at UFC on FOX 17 since his defeat to current UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos last year.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani for MMAFighting.com, Diaz was asked about Conor McGregor’s impending move to the lightweight division.
According to the 30-year-old, only one fight is worthwhile for the featherweight champion in the 155lbs division and it’s not against the winner of tomorrow night’s title bout between dos Anjos and Donald Cerrone in Orlando.
“He [McGregor] knows who’s the real fighter, the real champ,” said Diaz, who defeated Cerrone in 2011. “If he wants to come up and get the money fight, get the good fight, you know where that’s at and it’s not right here [dos Anjos or Cerrone].”
Diaz insisted that McGregor has nothing to gain from fighting dos Anjos or Cerrone, criticising tomorrow night’s headliners for the manner in which they seemingly struggled to handle McGregor’s insults at September’s ‘Go Big’ press conference in Las Vegas.
Diaz: “He don’t want that fight. You’re going to fight those guys who you punked at the press conference? You guys lost. I don’t know if people think about it like that, but when I saw that, if I was a fight fan, I’m not a fan anymore. You know what I’m saying?
“I signed up for fighting to let you know that I’m the motherfucking… what did you sign up for? Someone’s going to step on your shoes on purpose and laugh at you, and you’re just going to take that? No. I’m a fighter and if you’re going to sit there and try to steal the show at my press conference, then I’m going to step the fuck up and say ‘this is my show’.
“But these guys [dos Anjos and Cerrone]? Conor did a great job. He did a great job. That’s what you’re supposed to do. And then no one on the whole stage said shit. Do you want to see them fight? I don’t even care anymore.”
H/T: MMAFighting.com
