Things just got real between Diaz and McGregor at the UFC 202 press conference. pic.twitter.com/cxD8yYBl4W
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) August 17, 2016
The UFC 202 press conference started without Conor McGregor, which left the whole gathering as a low-key, somewhat strange affair in which Nate would quietly and calmly put down McGregor’s narrative of Nate being a huge monster. This was big for Nate. He could get his (quiet and mumbly) side of this whole feud out into the world without Conor dominating the questions. But without the superstar, things seemed lost.
The gathered media tried to keep the questions coming for Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira, but most went to Nate, who wasn’t really into the whole “selling the PPV” type thing. Thankfully, McGregor would show up 30 minutes late, raise hell in his usual fashion and make Nate Diaz walk off.
Nate, along with his brother Nick and the whole 209 crew, started talking sh*t to McGregor and made their way out of the conference. Things were heating up. Then someone threw a water bottle at McGregor, who responded in kind by throwing more water bottles from the stage and a Monster™ energy can. Seriously, he chucked a can into the crowd.
Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira were disappointed.
Look at Conor, with the fervor of a schoolboy who doesn’t want to be left out of the snowball fight. Incredible.
https://twitter.com/MattParrinoUFC/status/766010960569966592
Needless to say, Dana White was pissed off. He was pissed when Conor was late, and he was furious with Conor for throwing the bottles, saying “someone could’ve been hit.” Dana ends with a “sorry guys see you Saturday,” and the press conference is quickly over.
We went from a disappointing press conference to absolute insanity within a minute. Here’s even more bottle throwing:
https://twitter.com/ufc/status/766011786134822912