Everyone remembers The Simpsons episode where Homer took up boxing. Instead of actually boxing, Homer absorbed his opponent’s punches until they were exhausted, and then proceeded to nudge them to the canvas.
At a media scrum in Las Vegas yesterday, Conor McGregor likened opponent Nate Diaz to the cartoon character and said he used a similar strategy at UFC 196.
“You ever see that episode of The Simpsons where Homer starts boxing?” McGregor said (h/t Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting). “He’s competing, he’s just sitting in the ring and getting the head slapped off him. Boom, boom, boom. And then just the guy can’t punch him no more. And then Homer tips him and the guy falls over. That was similar. That’s the way Nate was in that fight. He was like Homer Simpson. He just took the shots until I couldn’t hit him no more. He’s gonna be no different this fight. He’s gonna just take the shots and hope that I can’t hit him no more. Only, I’m gonna be still there poking him in the face. So, I look forward to it.”
McGregor, who will rematch Diaz at UFC 202, was submitted by the Californian in March. ‘The Notorious’ started off strong, landing many punches at will and bloodying up Diaz’ face. Diaz, though, known for his durability and iron will, absorbed McGregor’s best shots and began to wear the Irishman down. Midway through the second round, McGregor began to fatigue and Diaz poured it on – lefts, rights, and a heavy dose of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Diaz eventually forced McGregor to tap to a rear-naked choke, handing the featherweight champion the first loss of his UFC career.
Since the loss, McGregor has handled things well. The Dubliner has credited Diaz for the win while still embracing the persona that made him such a popular fighter during his win streak.
The rematch will take place at welterweight, and both men have a lot to prove. The fight will headline UFC 202, which takes place next week, August 20, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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