Plenty to love (and hate) about Diaz-McGregor II at UFC 200

— -- Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor II is happening. It will be contested at 170 pounds -- just like it was on March 5 -- and will headline UFC 200 on July 9 in Las Vegas. Contracts have been signed.

So, now that it's official ... how do we feel about it? It's a question I'm having difficulty answering because I'm finding this rematch to be equal parts love and hate.

Let's walk this through together, and hopefully by the end we will have figured out exactly how we feel about what is arguably the most significant headliner of the year given the landmark event that is UFC 200.

1. I love it because it's the fight McGregor wants ...

Many see this as a negative, as in, "Who's running the show here? Why does the UFC bend to the will of this Irish diva? I'm sick of seeing McGregor receive special privileges! #UFConor." My response to that is: Why? Why shouldn't McGregor get to pick his next fight? He's the biggest draw in MMA. His fights are generating hundreds of millions of dollars. If a certain matchup motivates him more than all others, why shouldn't he have the right to demand it? Let's not forget, McGregor could have pulled out of UFC 196 when Rafael dos Anjos withdrew with an injury. Same goes for UFC 189 last summer, when Jose Aldo broke a rib. McGregor has taken risks, stayed on cards when two title shots have been yanked from the table and, in doing so, has drawn a massive amount of attention to the sport and the UFC brand. Of course he has earned the right to pick an opponent.

And these claims about him holding up the featherweight division -- technically, they're not wrong, but aren't they a little overblown? McGregor won the 145-pound championship in December. That was three months ago, guys. These days, if champions defend their titles twice per year, it's considered active. When this all started, McGregor was trying to make history by becoming the first UFC athlete to hold titles in multiple weight classes simultaneously. Had he pulled out of UFC 196 and waited for dos Anjos to heal up, we'd still be on the same time frame as far as the featherweight division is concerned. The bottom line for me is I believe McGregor wants this rematch against Diaz for the right reasons. He doesn't care what you or I want. He lost to a man he feels he should have beaten. Now he's obsessed with getting that one back. He bailed on a movie appearance with Vin Diesel to focus on Diaz. I love that. To me, that's a better plot than a mandatory title defense.

... but I hate it because it jilts Frankie Edgar

Edgar deserves a title shot. A real one. He deserves to fight the No. 1 fighter of his weight class. Right now, that's McGregor. If you're not a fan of Edgar by now, it's not him ... it's you. He lets his performances speak for themselves and he's on a very short list of names I'd consider to be the most technical mixed martial artists in the world. He has done everything asked of him and exceeded high expectations along the way. An interim title fight against Aldo at UFC 200 is a heck of a consolation prize. Edgar has the opportunity to beat the most dominant champion in the history of the featherweight division, avenge a loss from 2013 and appear on a historic card -- but a consolation prize is still a consolation prize. He deserves a fight against McGregor, and it's disappointing to see him passed over again.

2. I love it because it really is a great stylistic fight ...

You know what I also can't get on board with? This idea that the first fight wasn't close. Uh, that fight was close. McGregor beat Diaz up in the first round and was on his way to winning the second when he got caught with several shots, was visibly gassed and things quickly deteriorated from there. I understand if you don't like McGregor and don't want to hear excuses for losing a fight to an opponent who only had 11 days to prepare. I get that and don't even disagree with it. But you're kidding yourself if you don't think there were a lot of added variables at UFC 196 due to the short notice/weight jump. Sure, McGregor talking about "inefficient energy" sounds a lot like a crap excuse, but it also sounds like a very reasonable explanation to him gassing seven minutes into a fight.

This matchup, on paper, is a beauty. Diaz's reach and volume vs. McGregor's pressure and offensive firepower? The Stockton slap vs. McGregor's showboating, wheel-kicking bravado? That's fun. A lot has been made of McGregor's poor takedown attempt that ultimately led to a Diaz rear-naked choke, but don't forget McGregor swept Diaz when they hit the floor in the opening round. I'm not saying McGregor is secretly a better grappler here -- far from it. What I'm saying is this is a great, competitive fight. Don't let the final minutes of their first encounter fool you into thinking otherwise. It was an entertaining matchup on March 5 and it will be entertaining again on July 9.

... but I hate it because it's a rematch, period

Enough with the rematches, right? I love UNC vs. Duke on the hardwood but that doesn't mean I want to watch it every night. The UFC schedule is a minefield of rematches: Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier II,  Luke Rockhold- Chris Weidman II, Dominick Cruz- Urijah Faber III, Joanna Jedrzejczyk- Claudia Gadelha II and now Aldo-Edgar II. UFC president Dana White was actually angry Holly Holm wasn't willing to sit around and wait for a rematch against Ronda Rousey. I can go on. Want me to go on? Let's go on. Potentially looming: Robbie Lawler- Carlos Condit II, TJ Dillashaw- Raphael Assuncao II and Demetrious Johnson- Joseph Benavidez III. Come on. A rematch like Diaz-McGregor would have been money six months from now. Or 12. Heck, I've been waiting 12 years and counting for a Lawler- Nick Diaz rematch. Did we really have to do this fight now? As in, right now?

3. I love it because we get a full buildup this time ...

These two crammed a lot of fight promotion into 11 days and even showed some early action at the prefight news conference. And in some ways, the 11 days made it better because there wasn't enough time for them to get sick of one another and start repeating the same tired lines over and over. That said, I believe there is some world-class verbal sparring coming our way. And we were all wondering how brash and confident McGregor would be coming off his first UFC loss. Now you really have to wonder how the "king" shtick will hold up, as he fields questions about an opponent who was last seen choking him into submission. Meanwhile, Diaz has embraced the role of spoiler and seems to take great pleasure in dismantling the UFC's perceived golden child.

It goes beyond the promotion of the fight -- I am legitimately looking forward to seeing the adjustments these two make against each other with the benefit of a full training camp. Diaz says his timing will be on and McGregor won't touch him. McGregor says he'll understand the weight better and pace himself accordingly. Hopefully we'll see the depth of his game this time, as opposed to basically one heavy left hand after another.

... but I hate it because it's at 170 pounds

There's really no reason for this. At UFC 196, yeah, it made sense to fight at 170. Diaz wasn't training for a fight. Cutting the weight would have probably left him zapped by the time he stepped into the cage. But this time, those circumstances don't exist. McGregor isn't a welterweight. Nor is Diaz. When these two have closed the book on their respective careers, I believe they'll both be remembered primarily as lightweights. Regardless of who wins on July 9, I don't want to see either of them remain at 170. We've seen Diaz lose to elite competition there previously. McGregor would likely encounter similar results. This is a marquee fight, is it not? It had better be; it's headlining UFC 200. So, have it at the correct weight. Don't hold it hostage to the circumstances of the first one, just to say it's the same fight. Pointless.