Picking & Grinning: UFC 202 ‘Diaz vs. McGregor 2’

Nate Diaz wants validation. Conor McGregor desires revenge.

The two rivals meet for a second time in the UFC 202 (latest odds) main event on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Diaz will attempt to replicate his March 5 submission victory over the reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder in another non-title clash at 170 pounds. In the light heavyweight co-headliner, Blackzilians brute Anthony Johnson squares off with Glover Teixeira. The rest of the five-fight main card features three welterweight battles, as Rick Story dukes it out with Donald Cerrone, Hyun Gyu Lim faces Mike Perry and Tim Means collides with Sabah Homasi.

Ahead of UFC 202 “McGregor vs. Diaz 2,” members of the Sherdog.com staff swallowed their pride and put their reputations on the line with bold predictions:

Standings

Mike Fridley (36-21-1)
Tristen Critchfield (35-22-1)
Jordan Breen (34-23-1)
Mike Sloan (32-25-1)
Brian Knapp (30-27-1)

The Lineup

170: Nate Diaz (19-10) vs. Conor McGregor (19-3)
205: Anthony Johnson (21-5) vs. Glover Teixeira (25-4)
170: Rick Story (19-8) vs. Donald Cerrone (30-7)
170: Hyun Gyu Lim (13-5-1) vs. Mike Perry (6-0)
170: Tim Means (25-7-1) vs. Sabah Homasi (11-5)
135: Cody Garbrandt (9-0) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (21-9-2)
135: Raquel Pennington (7-5) vs. Elizabeth Phillips (5-3)
145: Artem Lobov (11-12-1) vs. Chris Avila (5-2)
135: Randa Markos (6-3) vs. Cortney Casey (5-3)
170: Neil Magny (18-4) vs. Lorenz Larkin (17-5)
170: Colby Covington (9-1) vs. Max Griffin (12-2)
185: Alberto Emiliano Pereira (9-1) vs. Marvin Vettori (10-2)

The Picks

Mike Fridley: McGregor, Johnson, Story, Lim, Means, Garbrandt, Pennington, Lobov, Markos, Magny, Covington, Pereira

Tristen Critchfield: Diaz, Johnson, Cerrone, Lim, Means, Garbrandt, Pennington, Avila, Casey, Magny, Covington, Vettori

Jordan Breen: Diaz, Johnson, Cerrone, Lim, Means, Garbrandt, Pennington, Avila, Markos, Magny, Covington, Vettori

Mike Sloan: Diaz, Teixeira, Cerrone, Lim, Means, Garbrandt, Pennington, Avila, Markos, Magny, Covington, Pereira

Brian Knapp: McGregor, Johnson, Story, Lim, Means, Garbrandt, Pennington, Avila, Markos, Larkin, Covington, Vettori