"He was drinking tequila in Mexico, eating tacos" - Joe Rogan recalls how Nate Diaz 'strangled' Conor McGregor in short-notice UFC 196 fight
Joe Rogan recalled the time Nate Diaz “strangled” Conor McGregor in his short-notice fight. Rogan alluded to Diaz’s legendary status by highlighting that the Stockton native accepted the fight on just 11 days’ notice but still managed to finish McGregor.
During a recent edition of his JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast, the UFC commentator and world-renowned MMA analyst spoke to his guest, UFC bantamweight Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, regarding multiple topics. While discussing how the UFC sometimes gets fighters to accept high-profile fights on short notice, Rogan and Vera referenced the example of Nate Diaz.
📆 OTD in 2016...
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz went to war at #UFC196 👊
https://t.co/SRm2yOHDTg
They particularly touched upon Nate Diaz’s incredible performance against Conor McGregor at UFC 196 in March 2016. Vera and Rogan expressed their respect for Diaz, who got the call to take the fight on less than two weeks’ notice.
After weathering a vicious attack from Conor McGregor in the first round, the resilient Nate Diaz went on to out-strike and later submit ‘Notorious’ in round two of their UFC 196 fight. Vera noted that Diaz was drinking when the UFC called him up to offer him the McGregor fight. Rogan agreed and stated:
“Yeah, he was drinking tequila in Mexico, eating tacos. And then, he goes, ‘Okay.’ And 11 days later, he’s strangling Conor McGregor.”
The Diaz-McGregor rematch transpired at UFC 202 in August 2016 and witnessed McGregor win via majority decision. Both aforementioned fights were contested at welterweight. Their series currently stands at 1-1.
Watch Joe Rogan recall Nate Diaz’s epic UFC 196 fight against Conor McGregor below (*The discussion shifts toward the Nate Diaz story at around the 55:41-minute mark):
Michael Bisping feels the Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor trilogy fight makes sense in 2022
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping recently suggested that Conor McGregor could fight Nate Diaz in a trilogy matchup next. In a video posted on his YouTube channel, he claimed that Diaz or Tony Ferguson would be the ideal opponent for McGregor’s comeback fight in 2022.
‘The Count’ believes that Conor McGregor, who’s currently recovering from a gruesome leg injury that he suffered this July, should ease his way back into competition. Both McGregor and Diaz are on two-fight losing streaks respectively. On that note, Bisping said:
“I think he (Conor McGregor) should try and get his mojo back, get comfortable with the octagon again because it's a long layoff. Nate Diaz may be the perfect person or even Tony Ferguson.”
Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor have lately been jibing at one another on social media. McGregor last competed at lightweight but has been hinting at a return to welterweight, which is the division Diaz currently competes in.
Five years ago today, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz delivered an instant-classic.
After slugging it out for five rounds, McGregor would even the score in the final fight of their epic series... for now. https://t.co/OPVCWoc0g1