Conor McGregor Currently 2/9 Favourite To Win
Published on March 4th, 2016 2:02 am ESTThe UFC will be hosting one of the biggest events in the history of their promotion on Saturday night.
Conor McGregor, who has quickly become the UFC's biggest star, will be stepping into the Octagon to take on Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 196. The original bout was supposed to be Rafael dos Anjos vs McGregor, though dos Anjos was forced to pull out due to an injury.
Due to the short notice, the fight between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor will be contested at 170 pounds. While there is not a title on the line in the fight, the bout will be important when it comes to determining McGregor's future in the higher weight classes. A win likely means a fight for the Welterweight title against Robbie Lawler at UFC 200, while a loss might send McGregor back down to the Featherweight division to defend his title against Frankie Edgar or Jose Aldo.
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Conor McGregor is a 2/9 favourite to win on Saturday night, while Nate Diaz is a 4/1 underdog.
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The case for Conor McGregor in this fight is simple - power and quickness. McGregor has shown tremendous knockout power during his time in the UFC, with his fights rarely lasting into the second round. With McGregor squaring off against the bigger (and slower) Diaz, McGregor's supporters say, he will not have any trouble landing a big punch on his foe to end the fight early.
This is certainly a valid stance, and McGregor will likely win the fight against Diaz.
Diaz supporters, however, have a great deal of interesting points to make in this fight.
To start - Diaz looked fantastic in his last fight and seems to be motivated to take on Conor McGregor, despite the short notice.
Thanks to Diaz's larger frame, McGregor will not enjoy the tremendous reach and size advantage that he normally enjoys over his opponents.
In addition, Diaz possesses a criminally underrated ground game and Conor McGregor could be in serious trouble if Diaz can survive the first round and get the fight to the ground.
Lastly, Diaz enjoys a substantial experience advantage.
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How would Conor McGregor do if the fight went past the second round? Will Conor's power translate to a heavier weight class? What happens if Diaz can get the fight to the ground?
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While Conor McGregor certainly should be the favourite to win on Saturday night, some savvy punters believe that Nate Diaz provides a tremendous amount of value.