Fight Forecast: 3 reasons why McGregor, Diaz must rematch immediately
It may not be the rematch everybody wanted, but it's the rematch everybody will be talking about for years to come.
The main event of UFC 202 on Saturday somehow managed to not only live up to the relentless hype that preceded the second Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz bout, but it managed to surpass it. For five rounds, two of the sport's most compelling personalities and dynamic fighters hammered away at each other until McGregor was declared the winner on the scorecards by the narrowest of margins.
Related: McGregor avenges loss to Diaz in all-time classic at UFC 202
Fans and media showered the two fighters with so much praise that the skepticism surrounding the initial announcement of their rematch was all but forgotten. After a pair of heart-stopping contests, there should be no questioning a third meeting.
Here are three reasons why the UFC needs to make McGregor versus Diaz happen again as soon as possible.
Follow the money
Of the disclosed $6.1-million payout for UFC 202, McGregor and Diaz accounted for $5 million of it. That's $3 million for McGregor, a UFC record, and $2 million for Diaz, by far the biggest payday of his career.
Want more dollars and cents? According to the promotion, the gate for the event was close to $8 million, placing it fifth all time in UFC history. The PPV numbers won't be reported until later this week, but even the most conservative prediction puts the buy rate around 1.5 million. If the UFC 196 estimate of 1.6 million buys is true, then that means McGregor and Diaz will have combined for over three million PPV buys.
For some perspective, the most successful combat sports event of all time was last year's Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout, which garnered 4.6 million buys. And that was a match years in the making between two of the most popular boxers in history. For McGregor and Diaz to even come close to that number, even combining two events, is astonishing.
Outside of a superfight with Georges St-Pierre or a quasi-legal freakshow bout against Brock Lesnar or Ronda Rousey, there isn't a better dance partner for McGregor when it comes to making the big bucks.
Strike while the iron is hot
Keep in mind that the McGregor-Diaz 2 turnout could have been even bigger were not for the promotion going well past its saturation point due to the bout being originally scheduled for UFC 200 on July 9. That extra five weeks went a long way towards fatiguing fans, media, and the fighters themselves.
But now that the two men put on a performance that has tongues wagging again, it only makes sense for them to complete their trilogy as soon as possible as opposed to trading halfhearted barbs on social media while pursuing other less appealing opponents.
Both fighters want it
Perhaps most importantly, there are no hurdles to McGregor-Diaz 3. Yes, Dana White refused to commit to another rematch, but this is the same UFC president who vehemently denied the recent sale of the promotion to WME-IMG in the weeks before it actually happened.
Far more relevant are the demands of the fighters themselves. Post-fight McGregor called for a third match, though he demanded that it take place at 155 pounds and did not specify if he wanted to do that next.
Even more definitive was Diaz's response: "Whenever they're ready to rock, I'll fight. But I'm not taking any fights until Round 3 against McGregor."
Every fighter under the sun is angling for the most high-profile bouts they can get regardless of rankings or weight class, so shouldn't the UFC just book the one facing the least resistance?