Page 22 - atoday
P. 22
A22
SPORTSMonday 7 March 2016
Twin upsets create big opportunities for UFC’s Tate, Diaz
GREG BEACHAM Referee Herb Dean stops the fight shortly after Nate Diaz defeats Conor McGregor in a second mediately said Tate will de-
AP Sports Writer round submission victory during their UFC 196 welterweight mixed martial arts match, Saturday, fend her belt against Rous-
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mo- March 5, 2016, in Las Vegas. Diaz won by submission. ey, who beat Tate twice
ments after Nate Diaz before getting knocked
choked out Conor Mc- Associated Press out by Holm last Novem-
Gregor and punched a ber.
big hole in the UFC’s plans, Trouble is, Rousey is ex-
Diaz took the microphone pected to make two mov-
and triumphantly, profane- ies before she returns to
ly declared his victory was serious MMA training, al-
“no surprise!” though neither of her pro-
Maybe not to Diaz. The rest posed projects has started
of the sport is still reeling filming yet.
from a revolutionary Sat- She isn’t expected to be
urday night at the MGM ready to fight before Oc-
Grand Garden Arena. tober at the earliest, but
The pandemonium caused White’s intention to book
by Miesha Tate and Diaz Tate-Rousey 3 seems to
had barely subsided when rule out the possibility of a
everyone else began pon- Tate-Holm rematch at UFC
dering the future created 200. That means Holm likely
by their back-to-back up- will be forced to fight an-
set victories at UFC 196. other contender this sum-
Tate and Diaz scrapped mer, but she accepts it
some tentative plans for as the price for her rapid
the promotion’s landmark MMA rise and fall.
UFC 200 show in July. Yet “The biggest thing that
they also created many hurts right now is my heart,”
tantalizing new possibilities Holm said. “I want to get
in a sport that isn’t afraid of back in the gym and get
a little chaos.
After his stunning dismissal agement team, and we’ll 2014.
of the touted McGregor, talk to the UFC. My job as
Diaz (20-10) likely could the champion is to fight the After Nate’s star-making
have virtually any fight he next best person, so who-
wants in two weight class- ever that is, I’ll fight them.” win, White is eager to hear
es, perhaps including a title As for the beaten Holm and
shot at either lightweight or McGregor, they’ll have the what the unpredictable
welterweight. He isn’t pick- chance to regain their lus-
ing an opponent yet, but ter later this year. Diaz brothers want to do
he wants a big check. Holm said she would love
“I’ve been in this a long to fight again next week. next. Nate is the younger
time,” Diaz said. “It’ll be McGregor expects to drop
nine years. This is my 25th back down 25 pounds to brother of Nick Diaz, the
fight here in the UFC, and featherweight, where he is
I’ve been, in the last few still the champion. former welterweight con-
years, curious when this “I’ll keep my ear to the
is going to pay off. And I ground and see who the tender who couldn’t be
think it’s time now.” fans want,” McGregor said.
For Tate (18-5), her first ban- “Whatever the fans want is in Nick’s corner because
tamweight title defense is the fight that makes sense.”
likely to be a third bout this Diaz’s next fight could be he is finishing a suspension
fall with Ronda Rousey, ac- the title shot he has long
cording to UFC President sought — and seemed un- for failing his last post-fight
Dana White. That discounts likely to get, given his 5-5
the possibility of an imme- record in his previous 10 drug test.
diate rematch with Holly bouts dating to 2010.
Holm, who got choked out White suggested he could White also joked that Nate
with 90 seconds left in their match Diaz against welter-
thriller. weight champion Robbie might not return to the
Although a third dance Lawler in a certain brawl
with Rousey could be between two sluggers, cage anytime soon if he
among the most lucrative while McGregor thinks
fights in UFC history, Tate Diaz will get the next shot follows through on a plan
appeared to be the person at Rafael Dos Anjos, the
least interested in choosing lightweight champion who to buy a yacht with his big
her next move. dropped out of his bout
“The right move feels like with McGregor two weeks UFC 196 payday, which
drinking a Budweiser and ago because of a foot in-
eating cupcakes,” Tate jury. Dos Anjos beat Diaz included $100,000 in per-
said. “I’ll talk to my man- by decision in December
formance bonuses on top
of his $500,000 purse and
other bonuses.
McGregor predicted
he’ll defend his feather-
weight belt next, likely at
UFC 200, even though the
145-pound weight limit is Miesha Tate, top, takes Holly Holm to the mat during their UFC
196 women’s bantamweight mixed
a grueling challenge for martial arts match Saturday, March 5, 2016, in Las Vegas. Tate
won by submission.
his body. The Irish champi-
on is willing to fight former
champions Frankie Edgar
or Jose Aldo — and he still Aldo in 13 seconds in De- better. My whole MMA
cember. “That’s the sign career has been on this
despises Aldo, who took to of a loser. That’s the sign of fast course, which I love. I
a runner-up. That’s not the wanted to take this chal-
Twitter to taunt McGregor sign of a champion.” lenge, and I want the re-
Tate’s future seems more match, and I want to get
moments after the fight. straightforward: White im- back in there.”
“Now another man gets
a victory over me, and he
celebrates it?” asked Mc-
Gregor, who knocked out
