Conor McGregor has never been known to be a punctual individual.

Therefore, seeing an empty chair next to the podium when Wednesday's press conference for UFC 202 began was nothing out of the ordinary. Nate Diaz, his opponent on Saturday night, fielded questions from the media and in a manner that seemed as rehashed as it legitimately was. Diaz never made a single mention about McGregor's absence or tardiness, simply kept on doing that Diaz thing fans love so much.

Then, forty minutes into the press conference, the brash-talking Irishman made his way onto the stage.


In past situations McGregor has popped into the spotlight and shut it down cold for the other participants. The Conor McGregor Show is a hard animal to compete with, and it looked as if we were about to get another installment at the MGM on Wednesday. But that's not what happened. In fact, it was a much different brand of gamesmanship which stole the show at the press conference.

Where McGregor is always credited for his head games, it was Diaz who pulled a mental 1-2 combination that left the Dublin native fuming.

Shortly after McGregor sat down to do his thing, Diaz exited the stage and made his way toward the door. The crowd cheered as he handed out high-fives with fans and shot double birds and expletives in McGregor's direction. An argument ensued, and just when things seemed to be rising, Diaz launched a water bottle down at McGregor on the dais.

The UFC featherweight champion held sway for a moment before giving up the ghost and launching into a full on assault using water bottles and full cans of Monster energy drink as his artillery.  It was a wild scene and one that nearly got out of hand.

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Yet, while it all looked like chaos, the move Diaz made was absolutely brilliant by all measures. By leaving, Diaz pulled the plug on McGregor's microphone, which has been one of the key weapons used in mental warfare by the Irishman. By taunting McGregor on his way out, Diaz was also able to provoke Conor into losing his cool, which was obviously the case when the Dublin native broke into full-blown dodgeball mode. 

For a fighter more known for his skill inside the cage than in the promotional realm, Diaz pulled a Jedi-worthy move on Wednesday in Las Vegas. Diaz has said all along he knows the game he's playing, and perhaps the fighting pride of Stockton Calif., has a few more cards up his sleeve.