Ex-UFC 200 Headliner Conor McGregor Takes Sly Shot at Jones vs. Cormier Collapse

With the MMA universe reeling from the shake-up to UFC 200, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz came together for a promotional press conference for August 20's UFC 202. Unsurprisingly, it was an odd one. Also unsurprisingly, the topic of their own ill-fated UFC 200 main event fight came up. 

Speaking with the assembled media, McGregor kept things classy. But he couldn't bottle up all of his schadenfreude when asked about Jon Jones being pulled from Saturday's event due to a possible anti-doping violation:

"

I could sit up here and say "well, well, well," but you know, I am a successful human being, and successful human beings do not celebrate in the adversity or misfortune of others. I wish Jon well, I wish everyone backstage well. I know they're running around like headless chickens trying to get everything together, but all I missed was a press conference. If I look at the facts, the main event of the fight and the co-main event of the fight weren't even at that press conference, so it is what it is.

"

(Warning: NSFW language.)

While there wasn't a smile on McGregor's face or any joy in his tone, make no mistake: He threw some shade there.

For those who don't remember, Diaz posted a dramatic upset win over McGregor in their short-notice fight at UFC 196. After being repeatedly tagged with punches in the first round, Diaz hit McGregor with a straight left that wobbled him badly. Diaz chased McGregor with strikes before scoring the finish in the second round via rear-naked choke.

The result shook up the UFC, as it put the top of the featherweight and lightweight divisions in limbo and made a star of Diaz, with whom the company has a prickly history. 

John Locher/Associated Press/Associated Press

The company booked a rematch for UFC 200, but a dispute between McGregor and UFC brass over media appearances led to the UFC scrapping the fight. After a great deal of drama and public back-and-forth between all three parties, the fight was rescheduled for UFC 202.

A light heavyweight title unification bout between Daniel Cormier and Jones replaced the Diaz-McGregor tilt on Saturday's card. However, news broke Wednesday night that the matchup was being scrapped.

The situation lent credibility to the rumors of a rift (warning: NSFW language) between UFC brass and the McGregor camp and has resulted in a fair bit of snark in the media, with the most recent example coming Wednesday night via John Kavanagh, McGregor's coach:

Still, McGregor admitted he could have handled the situation better:

"

There was a lot of stuff going on when all that other stuff was going on. I witnessed that tragedy inside the cage ... and it affected my whole team. ...

We just wanted to get out and get away. ... What I would have done differently is communicating it a little bit better ... I messed up the way I communicated it ... I feel I played it a bit wrong but they also played it wrong. I've done an awful lot for the company.

"

While the McGregor vs. UFC drama likely isn't over yet, fans can look forward to the highly anticipated Diaz vs. McGregor rematch in Las Vegas.