Melendez: UFC is greater than Conor McGregor

Las Vegas in August is not know for rain, but there was a hail of water bottles and energy drinks at the UFC 202 press conference on Wednesday. It began when Conor McGregor showed up 30 minutes late, and Nate Diaz determined it was high time to go. The camps exchanged words, and then water bottles and energy drinks.

UFC president Dana White was pissed, but the shenanigans will put asses in seats.

Diaz’s teammate, UFC lightweight great Gilbert Melendez spoke with Submission Radio shortly after incident, and was asked if Team Diaz walked out of the UFC 202 Press Conference due to McGregor disrespecting Nate by being late, or if it was pre-planned

Yeah I think you nailed it with the first one,” said Melendez. “You know, Nate did not plan on taking off early. He went to the press conference, did his job, answered all of the questions he needed to answer [that] everyone asked them, and Conor McGregor showed up late. I feel like he didn’t need to sit around and hear Conor McGregor answer all these questions and bad-mouth him, or say what he’s gonna say, so he thought he should get up and go.”

“You know, some trash talking started, bottles started flying – this is the fight game. But Nate do anything wrong? No. I thought he made a very smart decision, you know, and I think we’re going to get a couple of extra buys on that PPV after that altercation. Yeah, these guys are selling the fight, I could say, but they genuinely wanna fight each other and that’s what’s great about this. These guys really mean what they’re talking about.

” was with Nate, we just left the venue, went to his room, got some space, just left the chaos. But no, I feel like everyone’s a little frustrated. This is the second time – last press conference, Conor was late too as well, and Nate played the role this time. I think Nate’s the A guy, he’s the winner, he won the last fight. He doesn’t need to sit there.

“And as well as the show went on without Conor. He’s maybe the biggest star in the UFC, but he’ll never be bigger than the three letters UFC. And the show will go on, the business will go on with or without Conor, and that’s what happened. The press conference went on and I thought it was absolutely fair.

Nate Diaz fights Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 202 on Saturday night.