UFC 202: McGregor Looks to Avenge Only UFC Loss in Rematch with Diaz

Las Vegas — Nate Diaz shocked the world in March when he beat Irish sensation Conor McGregor after taking the fight on only 11 days’ notice. But 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: DIAZ vs. McGREGOR 2 on Saturday, Aug. 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 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 jiu-jitsu 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.

A shot at the light heavyweight title will likely be on the line in the co-main event 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.). Johnson has won five of his last six fights and has proven to be one of the hardest hitters in the UFC with 15 of his 21 wins coming by knockout. His last four wins all earned Performance of the Night awards and he’ll look for another one against Teixeira, who possesses similar knockout power. Teixeira also seeks a second title shot having strung together three straight wins, including a third-round submission of No. 6 Ovince Saint Preux and a first-round knockout over No. 8 Rashad Evans. Teixeira’s power, which includes 16 career knockouts, is complemented by a dangerous ground game as the jiu-jitsu black belt has earned six wins by submission.

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.). Maia’s eight wins by submission in the Octagon are tied with Frank Mir for the third most in UFC history (Gracie – 11, Diaz – 9). The nine-year UFC veteran has won his last five fights and a sixth-straight victory could make him the next challenger for the welterweight title. Standing in his way is Condit, who makes his first appearance since battling Robbie Lawler in January for the 170-pound title in one of the most exciting title fights in UFC history. Condit’s stamina and proficiency both standing and on the ground have earned him 15 wins by knockout and 13 by submission. Condit believes he won his last fight and is determined to earn another chance to reclaim UFC gold.

Additional Bouts:

· Undefeated No. 7 bantamweight phenom Cody Garbrandt (9-0, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) battles explosive No. 11 contender Takeya Mizugaki (21-9-2, fighting out of Kanagawa, Japan)

· No. 9 welterweight Rick Story (19-8, fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.) goes for his fourth straight win when he takes on the versatile, No. 14 Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (30-7, 1NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) who is coming off back-to-back Performance of the Night victories

· South Korea will be represented by the hard-hitting Hyun Gyu Lim (13-5-1, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea), who faces Russian knockout artist Sultan Aliev (13-2, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) in a welterweight showdown

· Veteran Tim Means (25-7-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) fights well-rounded Sean Strickland (18-1, fighting out of Corona, Calif.) in another welterweight bout

· Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Alberto Uda (9-1, fighting out of Blumenau, Brazil) meets UFC newcomer Marvin Vettori (10-2, fighting out of Mezzocorona, Italy) in a middleweight battle

· Two featherweights go head-to-head when Artem Lobov (12-12-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland) welcomes Chris Avila (5-2, fighting out of Lodi, Calif.) to the UFC