Conor McGregor is planning to right his wrong at UFC 202 against Nate Diaz, and he wants to do it the right way.
McGregor moved up two weight classes to 170 pounds for his last bout against Diaz, an infamous second-round submission loss. In order to exact rightful revenge on the California southpaw, McGregor wants to beat him at the same weight.
"What kind of fighter would I be if I lost a contest at a specific weight against a specific individual and then I said, ‘Well, you got me this time, cut a load of weight and I'll get you at that weight?'" McGregor said at a UFC 200 press conference, according to MMAFighting.com's Marc Raimondi. "It makes sense for me to have the contest at 170 to right the wrong. To leave no questions. This is the one. This is where I put everything to rest."
McGregor initially made the weight jump to take on Raphael dos Anjos for the lightweight title, but Dos Anjos was replaced by Diaz after suffering a foot injury.
The rematch was initially expected to take place at UFC 200 prior to McGregor threatening to retire over increased media obligations. Once the bout was called off, Diaz answered by stating he only wanted to fight the Irishman, who somewhat appreciated the decision.
"Real fighters respect real fighters," McGregor said. "I respect that he held out for me as well. But at the same time, he played the safe option. He didn't take what's known in the game as a McGregor risk. He was offered welterweight belts, he turned them down. He was offered lightweight belts, he turned them down. He played what was in his mind a safer option. I respect that he did it. It was a smart move on his behalf. Why not? But not everyone is willing to take the risks that I am willing to take."