When lightweight winner Rafael dos Anjos pulled from his second title defense against Connor McGregor 12 days ahead of the show, the UFC had choices galore.
You see, in the same way the featherweight kingpin will inform you, any card headlined by the Dubliner will be a profitable bonanza. The marketing first offered the fight to Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar, but answered the telephone.
Edgar had been coping with a groin injury that had prevented him from training for the many previous weeks, while Aldo’s coach said he wasn’t in good enough shape conditioning-wise to select the fight on this short notice.
Former 155-pound champ Anthony Pettis was one fighter volunteering his services, linking the likes of Urijah Faber and Donald’Cowboy’ Cerrone. Even B.J. Penn wanted a shot McGregor.
Nate Diaz was also more than prepared when contacted from the UFC. Dana White let the rumors to hang in the air for several hours before deciding that the interest from fans was best to get a Diaz-McGregor showdown.
McGregor had told the UFC he would fight anybody on the roster at any given weight. When Diaz’s camp suggested getting down to 155 on short note was too much, the UFC countered with a catchweight offer of 160 pounds. Diaz countered with 165.
Whenever the UFC known as’The Notorious,”’ he said let’s just take action at 170. Therefore, tonight’s main event for UFC 196 in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas will be a five-rounder contested at welterweight. McGregor, the 145-pound champ, is moving up two weight classes.
Ad Most novels opened McGregor (19-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) at around -300, but the chances are becoming more expensive with every passing day. As of Thursday afternoon, most places had McGregor preferred from the -450 to -500 range. Diaz was around +380 about the comeback (risk $100 to win $380).
Now that we have arrived at combat day, most places have McGregor in -500 or higher. The very best payout for Diaz overseas is at 5Dimes, which has him at +425.
The complete for’over/under’ wagers is 2.5 rounds (-200 to the’under,’ +165’over’). For those gamblers wanting to shave some of the’chalk’ yet back McGregor, the prop for him to triumph within the space doesn’t offer you much help (-278 in 5Dimes).
If you want to take McGregor’s information that he’ll dust Diaz from the opening round, that brace provides a +170 return. If you believe the pride of Ireland will make quick work of Diaz, much like his 13-second demolition of Aldo, there is a prop at 5Dimes that the battle won’t go 1:01 that supplies a lucrative +550 yield.
For McGregor to acquire by TKO/KO (in any form ), the cost is -275 (risk $275 to win $100). We should notice that Diaz hasn’t been completed at the first round in 28 professional spells.
In reality, Diaz (18-10 MMA, 13-8 UFC) has just been completed twice. He was submitted by Hermes Franca in WEC 24 at the second round, and the 209 product endured his sole livelihood TKO loss to Josh’The Punk’ Thomson in the next round of their April 2013 showdown. (Diaz’s corner threw in the towel)
