Not to be confused for Sage Northcutt, but UFC’s Fight Pass service is a wonderful invention. While pay per views like UFC 202 aren’t free, there are some fun bonuses. The chief among them is getting full corner audio feeds. Since the main event between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor went the entire five rounds, I figured there would be some choice quotes, and I was not disappointed.
Nate Diaz isn’t much of a wrestler, which is kind of odd considering he trains with Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez, and those two are pretty good at scoring take downs. Nate’s trips and throws are solid enough, but a straight double leg isn’t his strong suit. Which Melendez should know, but he still lets out a hearty “F*ck!” each time Diaz fails to drags McGregor to the ground.
At the end of a grueling fight, sometimes small appearances can sway opinions. Melendez asks to lift Diaz in victory several times, sounding more and more desperate each time. Nate finally tells Gil no thanks, he’s good, and I imagine Melendez was close to tears.
I believe this is Owen Roddy, Conor’s striking coach. I also believe he’s trying to say “You’re the smarter fighter” but in the excitement of the moment, he slurs it into “You’re the Smurf” which can’t do well for the perception that McGregor is too small to challenge against the very large men that await him should he continue in the welterweight division.
If that was Owen Roddy earlier, this is him again, saying one of the most insane lies I’ve heard from a corner. “You have better jiu-jitsu” takes a special kind of delusion that I can’t even begin to comprehend.
This isn’t from a coach, but it’s only audible thanks to the microphones they wear. I’m pretty sure Nate and Conor both unleashed a constant stream of trash talk against each other, so either the referee needs to wear a microphone, or there needs to be an option to listen to the barrage of insults.
Speaking of fighter banter, Diaz had some choice words for Conor’s corner.