Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz launch bottles at each other during chaotic UFC 202 presser
Conor McGregor was late showing up to the UFC 202 press conference on Wednesday, but once he arrived it didn’t take long before things exploded.
While the rest of the fighters slated to appear at the pre-fight affair were answering questions, McGregor finally appeared about 30 minutes late.
McGregor got in a couple questions until Nate Diaz got up from the table and walked out of the press conference, joining his brother Nick Diaz and an entourage of his teammates who were also in attendance on Wednesday.
"(Expletive) your whole team, how about that?" Diaz shouted from a distance while McGregor sat at the press conference table.
Diaz and his crew circled through the David Copperfield Theater at the MGM Grand before reaching the stairs where they were just a few feet away from McGregor's team, which included several coaches, Owen Roddy and his grappling partner Dillon Danis.
The situation quickly turned volatile as McGregor and Diaz continued to taunt each other back and forth with threats.
"Shut your (expletive) mouth, you'll do nothing," McGregor shouted. "Not one of you's will do nothing! Get the (expletive) out of here!"
As if the verbal exchanges weren't enough, Diaz then launched a water bottle at McGregor's team. And that's when the press conference turned into chaos, as the two teams started moving towards each other and it looked as though a full-blown brawl was about to take place.
Security rushed in to keep the teams separated, but McGregor — who was still on stage — started picking up unopened cans and bottles from the table and firing back at Diaz and his camp on the stairs.
UFC president Dana White intervened to try and stop McGregor's assault. But by that point, the damage had already been done.
That was INSANE!!!@TheNotoriousMMA hurls bottles at @NateDiaz209 as total CHAOS breaks out at the #UFC202 Presser. https://t.co/YQ9c1dBpfJ
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) August 17, 2016
"That's a wrap, get him out of here," White said, as the UFC staff attempted to pull McGregor away from the stage.
McGregor was eventually dragged backstage while Diaz and his team made their exit after the near melee erupted.
Over the course of the build-up to the fight, McGregor and Diaz have both been rather subdued in their attacks towards each other. But apparently the proximity finally brought back the ill-will they clearly share.
The two fighters never got to the customary pre-fight staredown, thanks to the near brawl, but McGregor and Diaz will face off at the weigh-ins on Friday. Expect security to be on hand to ensure UFC 202 doesn’t kick off 24 hours early.
