Conor McGregor may have drawn first blood.
The UFC 196 press conference has just wrapped up and there’s already a few things I have on my mind. First off we got to see Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz square off for the first time for this newly put together bout. It was a pretty awesome sight to behold, one that went a long way to convincingly selling the fight. McGregor and Diaz are both cut from the same cloth when it comes to the mental side of the game. This fight will be as much a war of will as it will be a war of skill. But even that isn’t the most interesting takeaway from the press conference. So what was it? What could be the most intriguing part of this match up? That McGregor is already inside Diaz’s head. If you look up the archives for all of the promotional videos, press conferences, and interviews in Nate Diaz’s pass then you’ll see a fighter who literally dominates his many opponents both verbally and mentally. This time around however Diaz is dealing with a different beast in McGregor. The brash Irishman did what he does best, besides fighting of course, and that’s speak his mind. It seemed that with every passing comment Conor McGregor was getting under Diaz’s skin which doesn’t bode too well for the fighter out of Stockton. McGregor has been able to dominate his opposition even more so when he’s able to get them too emotionally attached to the contest. With only ten days left until the two will face off in the cage it seems like a big warning sign for Diaz that he’s already losing the war of words with the featherweight champion. There were even times during the press conference where Diaz looked visibly irritated by some of McGregor’s comments. If he gets too emotional during the actual bout, then we could see Diaz over extend and potentially pay a hefty price. Who do you think will be victorious come March 5? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter. Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter to keep up with his antics.
