On Sunday night, the UFC confirmed a rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, according to ESPN.com, and the rivals will headline UFC 202 at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas on Aug. 20. The terms of the 170-pound fight will remain the same as the UFC 196 match, which Diaz won with a second-round submission.
“What kind of fighter would I be if I said, ‘Hey, I didn’t get you at 170, let me try to get you at 155,'” McGregor said. “I’ll make my adjustments. I ate up to the weight. This time, I won’t do that.”
The fighters were set to headline the UFC 200 main event on July 9 before McGregor was removed from the card for refusing to interrupt his training to take part in a commercial shoot and news conference, putting himself at odds with the UFC.
McGregor made amends with the UFC and met with president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta in Los Angeles to discuss rebooking the rematch for UFC 202, but a few days later Diaz asked to renegotiate the purse. Finally, the UFC has finalized the rematch.
Diaz, a UFC veteran since 2007 (19-10), accepted the UFC 196 fight on 11 days’ notice after lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos withdrew due to a foot injury. His rematch with “The Notorious” will be highly anticipated.
