Nate Diaz shocked the mixed martial arts world earlier this month when he handed UFC golden boy Conor McGregor his first loss inside the Octagon. Diaz had originally stepped in as an injury replacement for UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos on 11 days’ notice. Prior to the loss, McGregor had taken the UFC by storm, winning his first seven bouts, earning six knockouts in the process including an incredibly 13 second victory over then-champion Jose Aldo last December to capture the featherweight belt. Diaz, on the other hand, was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter season five and had experienced an up-and-down UFC career, earning a title shot in 2012, but failing to reach the top of the promotion. The victory over McGregor instantly made him a top contender once again. MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas had this to say about the rematch:
With a rumored Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz rematch in the works for UFC 200, the odds are going to be drastically different this time around. Diaz took McGregor’s best shots in their UFC 196 main event, weathering the early storm before hurting McGregor and finishing him via submission in the second. Diaz took the original fight on 11 days’ notice while McGregor was originally planning to compete 15 pounds lighter for the UFC lightweight title. With a full training camp to prepare, both fighters will be more familiar with each other and we can expect a more disciplined human chess match. Diaz’s confidence will be higher now, but McGregor also knows he was doing serious damage in the first round before slowing down. All that aside, McGregor is still the most popular male fighter on the roster and he should have plenty of support from the betting public. If the bout takes place at welterweight (170 lbs), McGregor will be the -155 favorite with the comeback on Diaz being +125. If the bout instead takes place at lightweight, McGregor will be a -170 betting favorite with Diaz coming in as a +140 underdog.
The lines for the rumored match-up opened via Several Bookmakers just moments ago. Without further ado: ————————————————————- {UFC 200 – Lightweight 5 rounds – location: Las Vegas} Nate Diaz +140 Conor McGregor -170 |fight must occur on or before December 31, 2016 and at 155 lbs for action| {UFC 200 – Welterweight 5 rounds – location: Las Vegas} Nate Diaz +125 Conor McGregor -155 |fight must occur on or before December 31, 2016 and at 170 lbs for action| —————————————————— Click below to bet the fight now! 