UFC 196 was supposed to be one of the more highly anticipated cards in recent memory with two title fights set to be the headliners. However, Rafael Dos Anjos dropped out of his lightweight title fight against Conor McGregor due to a broken foot and was replaced by Nate Diaz. Diaz vs. McGregor will not be a title fight, yet it will still be the headline fight on the card over Holly Holm vs. Miesha Tate.
In the past, UFC President Dana White has said that he wants headline fights to be for championships and has even gone as far as promising that will always be the case. This situation is a little different though, because Dos Anjos dropped out so close to the event and McGregor is one of the biggest stars. If Ronda Rousey was in this fight for the bantamweight championship it likely would have been moved to headliner, but instead Holm and Tate will be the co-main event.
It would be completely understandable if Holm was upset about not being the headliner, but instead she has said she is fine with it. Holm is instead more concerned about defending her bantamweight title that she took away from Rousey via knockout in her last fight. The 34-year-old fighter doesn't care whether she is the first fight or the last fight, she is focused on beating Tate and retaining the belt.
For what it's worth Holm has Rousey in her corner, as the former champion wants Holm to win so that she can be the one to beat her. Holm is considered the massive favorite in her fight against Tate, although Tate is extremely confident that she will win and "ruin" the Rousey vs. Holm rematch that everyone is clamoring for.
While the headliner between Diaz and McGregor is not a title fight, there is still plenty of buzz surrounding it. Diaz called out McGregor for using steroids to gain weight before the fight, which McGregor has denied, and these are two of the best personalities in the sport. Regardless of the order of the fights this card should make for a very good night of fights, and it takes place on Saturday March 5 in Las Vegas.
