UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor was originally looking to become the first-ever UFC fighter to hold world titles in two weight divisions in his scheduled fight with UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.
However, dos Anjos had to back off from the bout due to an injury. Replacing him as McGregor's opponent at the main event of UFC 196 was Nate Diaz, who had to step in on short notice. The fighters agreed to a welterweight limit of 170 pounds.
While McGregor's quest for history would not be coming to fruition with Diaz replacing dos Anjos, there is another way that McGregor will be making history at UFC 196.
According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, McGregor will be drawing a disclosed purse of $1 million in his fight with Diaz. This would be the first time that a fighter will draw a seven-figure amount in the history of the UFC.
That is not the entire amount that McGregor stands to make from the fight though. The figure that the NSAC released does not yet include sponsorships and bonuses, with McGregor previously stating that he thinks will be bringing home over $10 million from the fight.
Diaz, on the other hand, is listed by the NSAC to draw $500,000.
The weigh-in for the match was explosive, with McGregor and Diaz shouting expletives at each other as they stepped off the scales. Police officers were even positioned onstage in case a brawl broke out between the two fighters.
While the build-up to the fight has been a short one with the sudden pull-out of dos Anjos, the McGregor-Diaz bout is not lacking in fire as the two fighters have thrown curses and insults at each other whenever they are in the same room.
The co-main event for UFC 196 will see UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm make her first defense of the title which she shockingly won by knocking out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193. Holm's opponent would be Miesha Tate, and compared to the other main event, the Holm-Tate fight features far less animosity but is still billed as a competitive one.
