When Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz take to the octagon in the main event of UFC 196, everyone is expecting to see two fighters firing verbal shots at each other, as well as physical punches.
Diaz and McGregor both have a reputation for letting their opponent know exactly what they are thinking in the middle of the fight, take for example Conor telling Chad Mendes he was a 'pussy' while grappling with him at UFC 189, but despite the entertainment that is provided, there is actually a rule against doing do.
Referees are allowed to halt the fight and issue a warning for 'abusive language' in the Octagon, but well respected ref Herb Dean doesn't see it becoming an issue, because he's not a huge fan of it himself.
I generally choose to let people talk trash, I think it’s fine. But actually, there is a rule. There is a rule that says no abusive language in the cage.
So yeah, that leaves a lot to my discretion. If somebody … says ‘fuck you’ to somebody, people will get offended by it. I mean, we’re watching people kick each other in the face, but we can’t say ‘fuck you’ every now and then?
I just don’t have a problem with it.
Despite facing criticism for letting the Luke Rockhold beatdown on Chris Weidman go on longer than some felt necessary, Dean is considered by many, including McGregor, to be the best in the business, and it's no secret that the UFC prefers him to take the bigger fights, so it's good to see that he's going to let these two do what they love to do.
It's going to be a cracker tonight, and there would be nothing worse than stopping the momentum to tell one of the fighters to watch their potty-mouth.
