Nate Diaz Belittles Conor McGregor Before UFC 200 Rematch

Nate Diaz has ramped up the mind games ahead of his rematch with Conor McGregor at UFC 200, stating the Irishman shouldn't feel too bad when he loses for a second time.

At UFC 196, Diaz sprung an upset to beat McGregor, choking out the Notorious in the second round of the fight.

As they gear up for their second bout, scheduled for July 9 in Las Vegas, Diaz patronisingly backed McGregor to get over back-to-back losses against him in an interview with Fox Sports (h/t Damon Martin of Fox Sports): "I’m sure he’ll be all right when I beat him. I’m top of the food chain. I've been fighting top 10 competition for eight years. Losing to me is not so bad. You can lose to some lame ass or you can lose to a real...G fighter. I don’t think it will hurt him too much. He’ll be alright."

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There are certainly a host of fascinating storylines to follow in the buildup to this one, with McGregor once again set to fight at the 170-pound limit.

At UFC 196, Diaz took the bout on late notice, with McGregor initially scheduled to face Rafael Dos Anjos for the lightweight title. The Brazilian was injured less than a fortnight before the fight, and in the eyes of many, that made the Diaz’s win over the Notorious even more impressive.

But by contrast, McGregor would have had to make alterations in his preparations, having tailored his training for a particular opponent. It’s why he’s earned credit in some quarters for wanting an immediate shot at Diaz at welterweight again, although his opponent isn’t buying into that particular line of thought:

"

I’ve lost decisions that I didn’t really lose and if I asked to get a rematch it was out of the question like are you kidding me, don’t even ask. But this guy is getting praised for wanting a rematch. It’s like get...out of here...this is the fight game.

Whoever has lost a fight in the UFC and hasn’t wanted to fight that guy the next day shouldn’t be in the sport. All of a sudden he’s getting praised for losing and wanting a rematch? Get...out of here, I’m sick of hearing it.

"

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As Luke Thomas of MMA Fighting noted recently, not all fighters who lose in such clear-cut circumstances are privileged enough to get such a quick rematch:

Many have pointed to the fact McGregor still holds the featherweight title as a reason why he should move on too. After all, further down on the bill at UFC 200 will be a rematch between Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo, two men who will both feel as though they have legitimate cases for challenging for the strap.

Diaz admitted it's unfortunate for Edgar, hinting it should have been the featherweight facing McGregor at UFC 200.

"I feel bad for [Edgar], that’s my dude right there. I like him,” Diaz said. “He was supposed to fight [McGregor] a long time ago. This was his fight, too. ... I hope he gets what he wants in the future.”

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Edgar will at least get the chance to challenge for the interim featherweight title against Aldo, although Jeff Wagenheim of Sports Illustrated is unsure why one is necessary:

Should Diaz deliver for the second successive fight against McGregor, there’s every chance the Notorious will return to the featherweight division a little humbled. Indeed, after beating Aldo in December last year, the Irishman would surely have to defend his title at 145 in his next fight or face being stripped of the belt regardless of the result.

For now, his focus will be on Diaz, though. It’s going to be intriguing to see just how McGregor approaches this one after his first defeat in the company. His opponent is evidently buoyed by what was arguably the biggest win of his career last time out.