UFC 202 Predictions: Did Anyone Pick Conor McGregor?

The wait is finally over and UFC 202 will go down tomorrow night (Sat., August 20, 2016) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Featuring an anticipated welterweight rematch between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor, the event’s hype was blown up to a new level when the two sides got into a bizarre bottle-throwing spectacle at Wednesday’s pre-fight presser.

But despite that buzz, many are still picking the bigger Diaz to beat McGregor again he brutally submitted him in the second round of their first match-up at UFC 196.

Who did we pick to win the two main bouts of UFC 202? Find out below.

Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor:

Mike Drahota:

This is a huge fight for the UFC in not only that it’s arguably the biggest PPV of the year, but also one where the reputation of its biggest star is on the line, at least in some capacity. Yes, McGregor will still be featherweight champion if he loses, but a second straight defat to Diaz will undoubtedly rip away some of his mystique, something that has already happened since UFC 196.

The excuses were there then and they will be there now, so all McGregor can do to quiet the haters is win. In order to do so, he has to keep up a high volume of leg kicks, which Diaz has largely been susceptible to throughout his career. He also has to keep his cardio sustainable by not going for the knockout with every blow on the iron-chinned Diaz. Diaz, meanwhile, is the much bigger fighter, is more experienced and technical on the ground, and looks great after actually having a full training camp this time around.

After the presser fiasco, it would seem Diaz and his team are in McGregor’s head somewhat, similar to Ronda Rousey‘s weigh-in outburst before her devastating loss to Holly Holm. I can’t disregard that here. I’m picking Diaz by second round submission.

Rory Kernaghan:

The rematch between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor was boosted by the crazy press conference scuffle earlier this week, but what happens when they really do get it on? It’s quite a tough one, with numerous factors influencing their first meeting.

If McGregor were to show up in the same condition (cardio) as last time, I’d pick Diaz 10 times out of 10, but I don’t believe this to be the case. As we saw from last fight, their styles match very well on the feet, so for me this is very much a gut-based pick.

Going against the grain, I’m going to pick Conor McGregor for the TKO in round three. This wasn’t an easy pick to make, especially considering their last fight, but I just can’t shake the feeling of a revenge knockout in the making here.

Mike Henken:

I must admit that I have constantly gone back and forth with my prediction for this fight. In my opinion, Diaz is without question the more well-rounded fighter. His boxing is crisp and voluminous, and his cardio is second to none which often allows him to implement a pace that simply breaks his opponents.

When it comes to the ground, Diaz’s submission skills are world-class, and I’m not sure that McGregor will have been able to catch up in that department over the last six months. On top of all of these things, Diaz will be coming into this bout on the heels of a full training camp which could make him even more dangerous . With that being said, I’m going with my gut here, and my gut says that the Irishman will get the job done.

Diaz’s path to victory appears to be much clearer, but I think McGregor will come much more prepared this time around. Given that this fight means so much to him, I feel as if his cardio will be better than ever, and his strategy will be on my point. He’ll need to be able stick and move and land combinations consistently for five rounds here in order to get his revenge. He’ll also likely have to keep the fight standing. I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m picking McGregor by unanimous decision.

Anthony Johnson vs. Glover Teixeira:

Mike Drahota:

This potential light heavyweight title eliminator is getting little attention at UFC 202, but in truth, it has the potential to be the most exciting bout on the card.

Both Johnson and Teixeira have been on torrid streaks where they’ve run through their opponents with highlight reel finishes; a similar result here would certainly have them on the cusp of another site shot for either fighter. To do so, “Rumble” will obviously look to knock Teixeira’s head off with his peerless striking power, although the Brazilian’s own knockout skill isn’t far behind.

Teixeira does possess the jiu-jitsu edge, so if he can somehow get the hulking “Rumble” to the mat and get him in a bad spot, a submission win could be in the cards. But Ryan Bader wasn’t able to do the same in January, and he’s a better wrestler than Teixeira. This bout could devolve into an all-out slugfest, and that simply favors “Rumble.” I have to pick “Rumble” by first round TKO.

Rory Kernaghan:

Anthony Johnson is the man for me as far as the UFC 202 co-main event is concerned. I think Glover Teixeira has all the makings of a top level light-heavyweight, but he faces too much of a task in the form of ‘Rumble.’ We saw the Brazilian wobbled against Ryan Bader early on when ‘Darth’ caught the chin, which is not good when you consider there’s two Baders worth of power in one of Johnson’s hands. This is a lot more cut and dry for me, Johnson by knockout in round one to set up the rematch with ‘DC.’

Mike Henken:

“Rumble” Johnson is a scary man. The No. 1-ranked light heavyweight has the speed and explosive power to knock out any man in the division with one shot. In fact, he may very well be the promotion’s hardest hitter. Aside from his striking, he also has decent defensive wrestling skills, but he has also been known to tire in the past. For that reason, I’m going with Teixeira here. I think the Brazilian, who packs some serious power in his own right, will avoid the earlier onslaught before implementing a pace that begins to wear Johnson down. When that happens, I see the fight going to the ground where “Rumble” may be at a serious disadvantage. Teixeira by second round submission.