Well…that escalated quickly.
Social media is abuzz with the recent events of UFC 196. There was a mad grab at the money machine Conor McGregor after Raphael Dos Anjos fell out of the bout just 12 days before the fight. Looking for a pay day (and to settle a grudge in Cerrone’s case) many candidates came out of the woodwork bidding for the chance to step in the ring with Mr. ATM himself. While Cerrone was the frontrunner, in the end Nate Diaz was the one with the golden ticket. Taking the fight on 10 days notice, and with a limited skill set, many people are already looking past Nate Diaz. Oddsmakers have it as a four to one for McGregor with the line coming out McGregor (-360) and Diaz (+300). Fan reaction isn’t much different – with social media concurring this one should be a white wash. Like everyone, I’m a big fan of the Diaz brothers. However, I think Nate stood more of a chance with a war of words rather than actual combat in the cage. Don’t get me wrong – Nate is a dangerous fighter who can stand with the best of’em and tough as nails to boot. But McGregor’s movement is just too good and though his left hand is highly touted he’s got power in everything – not to mention pinpoint striking. While you can never count a Diaz brother out, I’m going to have to go with the public on this one and call a schillacking. 
Then What? With the supposed lightweights fighting at welterweight, what does this win mean for the division and more specifically for Conor? While many are already proposing a fight with welterweight champ Robbie Lawler, I’m calling shenanigans. First off, none of these guys are actually ranked it that division so on what grounds does Conor get a title shot? While his fame (and his golden gab) has got him pretty far, this one’s just too much. With Tyron Woodley, Carlos Condit, and recently Steven “Wonderboy” Thompson making strong cases for a shot at the strap, for Conor to jump the welterweight line by beating a 155 er at what is essentially a catch weight is ludicrous. But what if he would’ve beat RDA? He still wouldn’t have fought a welterweight and probably would’ve got a chance at the strap. While this is probably true, it’s definitely not confirmed. Even if he did get a shot at Lawler after that he would’ve had much more clout – with two championship belts over his shoulders – one being the next weight class down, it would’ve been hard to deny. But if I was Dana, I still would’ve made him atleast fight the number one contender first – but I digress. Bottomline is no. Conor McGregor shouldn’t get a chance at welterweight title with a win over #5th ranked lightweight Nate Diaz. Hate to be the party pooper but reality has to set in at some point. We can’t ONLY make matches because fans want to see them or for economic gain. This is a sport after all…right? 
Be sure to watch the 1p.m. P.T./4 p.m. EST presser for UFC 196 Diaz vs McGregor (Today 2/24/16) Good, bad, or ugly, make sure to leave all your comments below and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
