At UFC 196 we saw the UFC's biggest star do something that is extremely rare. Conor McGregor, who is the current featherweight champion, moved up two weight classes and 25 pounds in order to fight Nate Diaz. McGregor was supposed to fight Rafael dos Anjos at 155 pounds, but after he pulled out due to injury McGregor decided to move up to 170 pounds in just two weeks.
McGregor lost the fight to Diaz, but it is hard not admire the man's courage and confidence in himself. Before the loss there was some talk of McGregor possibly going for a welterweight title shot next, but losing to Diaz eliminated that possibility. It wouldn't be a surprise if McGregor chalked up the loss to having to move up so much weight and being out of his comfort zone, but instead he is open to doing it again.
"I'm ready to go again," McGregor said. "I had a great time. It was a good fight, a hell of a fight. I look forward to coming back with a vengeance."
McGregor also said that if there were to be a rematch between him and Diaz he would like to have Justin Bieber in his corner. This stems from the mini Internet beef between Bieber and Diaz when the pop star said he didn't like Diaz's style and Diaz responded with a picture of him slapping Bieber.
A rematch didn't seem like something that would happen considering the two fighters fight at very different weights, but the first fight drew so much attention that the UFC has to at least consider it. It likely wouldn't be either fighter's next match, but this leaves the door open for a possible rematch later on down the road.
Diaz may actually be in line for a title fight after beating McGregor and getting his name out there to more people. Robbie Lawler is the current welterweight champion and does not have his next title defense scheduled, so Diaz could be an option there.
For McGregor, his next fight will likely take place at UFC 200 where Dana White all but guaranteed he would be in action. The fight will likely be a featherweight title defense but the opponent for that fight is unknown right now. There are several people jockeying for that spot but White may be leaning toward Frankie Edgar as the challenger.
The first McGregor vs. Diaz fight was fun to watch and really had a lot of anticipation leading into it. A rematch is not a guarantee and may not even be necessary but it would definitely get the attention of MMA fans everywhere especially considering how many people watched the first time.
