Conor McGregor gets his rematch, will fight Nate Diaz on August 20

Irish sensation Conor McGregor made a dangerous miscalculation in his recent March bout, jumping to a higher weight class and taking on Nate Diaz, who shocked the world when he beat McGregor after taking the fight on only 11 days’ notice.

Now McGregor gets a chance to avenge his first UFC loss in their rematch while Diaz goes for a third-straight win when the two face off in a welterweight battle at UFC 202 on Saturday, August 20 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Diaz and McGregor captured the attention of the sports world when they headlined what was one of the biggest events in UFC history earlier this year, and the animosity between the two has only grown as the rematch between an obsessed McGregor and an unfazed Diaz unfolds.

After submitting McGregor in their first matchup, Diaz (20-10, fighting out of Stockton, Calif.) gets another chance to quiet the UFC’s outspoken featherweight champion.

The win for Diaz showcased the skills he has used since turning pro at 19 years old: world-class boxing, impressive jiujitsu, and the ability to take a punch and move forward. During his 11-year MMA career, Diaz has earned eight first-round finishes, and his nine wins by submission inside the Octagon are second most in UFC history behind Hall of Famer Royce Gracie (11).

McGregor (19-3, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland) comes into the fight ranked No. 5 on the world’s pound-for-pound list, and is determined to show that his loss to Diaz was merely a fluke. The Irishman has earned 17 of his 19 victories by knockout, including 13 in the first round. The world has never seen anything quite like McGregor and he’ll look to add to his “Notorious” reputation by settling the score with Diaz once and for all.

In addition to the main event, a shot at the light heavyweight title will likely be on the line when No. 2 contender Anthony Johnson (21-5, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) takes on No. 3 Glover Teixeira (25-4, fighting out of Danbury, Conn.) on the card.

Also on the undercard and widely considered the best jiu-jitsu practitioner in the UFC, No. 3 welterweight Demian Maia (23-6, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) faces off against former welterweight champion and current No. 5 Carlos Condit (30-8, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.).

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services