With recent word that Rafael dos Anjos withdrew from UFC 196 on account of a broken foot, president Dana White was left scampering for a suitable replacement with barely a couple of weeks before the said event.

There were fighters who tipped their names into the hat but in the end, the UFC decided to go with Nate Diaz.

Diaz made the list with other big names like David Cerrone and Anthony Pettis. He is not categorized as a top contender but the animosity brewing between him and McGregor seems to be the reason why the UFC had decided to go with him ― it seems that their "beef" against each other weighed out in the end.

The selection of Diaz does come with a lot of questions, particularly in the area of preparation. UFC 196 takes place this March 5 so it calls to mind a similar fate last year when Chad Mendes was tasked to fill up for an injured Jose Aldo. 

So in a way, it seems that McGregor has an advantage already over Diaz, although that may not be enough to discount what the 30-year-old mixed martial artist can do. White has stood up and explained that Diaz is in shape because he was training for a triathlon. Will that be enough to even the odds?

Diaz is coming off from a big unanimous decision win over Michael Johnson back in December, adding more intrigue in the upcoming matchup. 

Hence, it will be a battle of two fighters who are good strikers and who despise each other. But will fans be seeing a fierce exchange of blows?

If the 155-pound Diaz is wide, he may want to review the past fights of McGregor. It may be best to use his size advantage and frustrate McGregor with grapples. He could wear down the Irishman first and then engage in the strikes. But to do that, he must stay focused and try to drain "The Notorious'" adrenaline and energy first to get some advantage.