Believe it or not, the main-event poster boy for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s marquee UFC 200 event will be Nate Diaz, the company’s rebel, in a rematch with featherweight champion Conor McGregor.
“UFC 200, July 9, get your tickets,” Diaz cracked Thursday in a telephone conversation with The Times.
The surprising placement of Diaz in the headline fight happened because Ireland’s McGregor pushed for an immediate rematch with Diaz at welterweight (170 pounds) after losing to the Stockton fighter by second-round submission March 5 at UFC 196.
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The first fight was made possible because lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos injured a foot less than two weeks before UFC 196.
Left a bit humbled by the loss, in which Diaz landed heavy punches in the second round and took advantage of McGregor’s fatigue carrying the extra weight to apply a deciding rear naked chokehold, McGregor (19-3) has now responded by holding off on a return to the featherweight division to achieve revenge for his first loss in UFC competition.
“We’ve got to get to the fight and see” if it will be different, said Diaz (20-10). “I established [in the first fight] that [McGregor] can get taken out by getting hit in the face. I never did believe the hype.”
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Diaz said “I’m not surprised” that McGregor permitted the rematch to be at 170 pounds again, considering Diaz was previously a lightweight.
“If I lost like him, I’d want to fight again tomorrow,” Diaz said. “That’s what I’ve always wanted when I’ve lost, but I’ve never got the chance to have that for all the times I lost … he does, though.”
Diaz predicted McGregor is in store “for a lot of work. He got tired [March 5] … well, he didn’t really get tired. He got his [rear] beat. He needs to learn how to manage his energy, and now that I’ll have time to get ready, he has to work five times as hard.”
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Part of McGregor’s strategy will certainly be to infiltrate Diaz’s psyche again after hammering him with verbal blows the first time around. Diaz said, in hindsight, the creative words didn’t matter once Diaz applied his boxing and jiujitsu skills.
“Whatever … he can talk. I don’t care.” Diaz said.
He said he’ll train with members of the legendary Gracie family that brought mixed martial arts fighting to the U.S. and will spar at a boxing gym in Oakland, where he has worked with unbeaten former super-middleweight boxing champion Andre Ward.
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Conor McGregor, left, and Nate Diaz exchange punches during their welterweight fight at UFC 196 on March 5. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times )
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Nate Diaz takes down Conor McGregor during their non-title welterweight bout at UFC 196 in Las Vegas on March 5. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times )
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Nate Diaz grapples with Conor McGregor during their welterweight bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Nate Diaz takes down Conor McGregor during their UFC 196 fight on Saturday night.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Nate Diaz celebrates his win over Conor McGregor at UFC 196 on March 5. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Nate Diaz celebrates his win over Conor McGregor after their non-title welterweight fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Miesha Tate goes for a single-leg takedown against Holly Holm during their women’s bantamweight title bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Holly Holm, bottom, tries to fend off Miesha Tate during their women’s bantamweight title fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Holly Holm lands a big left against Miesha Tate during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight championship fight.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Holly Holm, left, and Miesha Tate trade kicks during their women’s bantamweight title fight at UFC 196 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Miesha Tate takes down Holly Holm during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight title fight. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Miesha Tate sinks the chokehold on Holly Holm that led to a submission in the fifth round of their women’s bantamweight championship fight at UFC 196 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Miesha Tate springs to her feet after defeating Holly Holm by submission in the women’s bantamweight championship fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Miesha Tate celebrates after defeating Holly Holm at UFC 196 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Gian Villante, left, tries to block a kick by Ilir Latifi during their bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Gian Villante, left, and Ilir Latifi grapple during their light-heavyweight fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Gian Villante, left, tries to prevent a takedown by Ilir Latifi during their light-heavyweight fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Valentina Shevchenko tries to land a knee against Amanda Nunes during their women’s bantamweight fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Valentina Shevchenko, left, sends Amanda Nunes reeling during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight bout.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Valentina Shevchenko, left, tries to fend off the attack by Amanda Nunes in a women’s bantamweight bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Amanda Nunes has the upper hand during her UFC 196 bout against Valentina Shevchenko.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Amanda Nunes, left, has a kick blocked by Valentina Shevchenko during their UFC 196 women’s bantamweight fight.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Valentina Shevchenko, right, lands a right during her UFC 196 bout against Amanda Nunes.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Valentina Shevchenko, bloody face and all, is ready for more action during her UFC 196 women’s bantamweight fight against Amanda Nunes.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Valentina Shevchenko was able to fend off the attacks by Amanda Nunes to win the women’s bantamweight bout by unanimous decision at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson, left, lands an overhand right against Tom Lawlor during UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson works from the top against Tom Lawlor during their light-heavyweight bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson, left, and Tom Lawlor trade blows during their light-heavyweight bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson takes down Tom Lawlor during their light-heavyweight fight at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson completes a takedown agianst Tom Lawlor during their UFC 196 fight.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Corey Anderson raises his arms after defeating Tom Lawlor in a light-heavyweight bout at UFC 196.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Brandon Thatch punches Siyar Bahadurzada during their bout at UFC 196.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Brandon Thatch lands a kick against Siyar Bahadurzada during their UFC 196 bout.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Siyar Bahadurzada celebrates after defeating Brandon Thatch during UFC 196.
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Vitor Miranda kicks Marcelo Guimaraes during their UFC 196 bout.
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Marcelo Guimaraes, left, and Vitor Miranda trade punches in the middle of the octagon during their UFC 196 bout.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Nordine Taleb celebrates after defeating Erick Silva at UFC 196 on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Darren Elkins (top) slams Chas Skelly to the canvas during their UFC 196 bout on Saturday night.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Diego Sanchez, left, follows through after punching Jim Miller during their bout at UFC 196.
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Jim Miller lands a kick against Diego Sanchez during their UFC 196 bout in Las Vegas.
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Julian Erosa attempts a kick against Teruto Ishihara during their bout at UFC 196.
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Teruto Ishihara sends Julian Erosa to the canvas before winning by a technical knockout in the second round of their UFC 196 bout.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
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Jason Saggo celebrates after defeating Justin Salas at UFC 196.
(Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
“I want to be better in every way, but I haven’t really thought about it. I just woke up,” Diaz said in a conversation that began after 2:30 p.m.
Diaz and his brother Nick, a former UFC welterweight title challenger, have long marched to their own drummer while the UFC has demanded more accountability and responsibility from the pair.
“Yeah, it’s pretty funny,” Nate Diaz said of headlining UFC 200. “I’m ready for war. I wanted the biggest fight they can make. Headlining UFC 200 against the biggest name in the UFC is it. I’m just going to do whatever they give me to do. If you ever need me, just give me a call.”
