LAS VEGAS _ A heated exchange that included the throwing of plastic bottles, cans and tape rolls brought a premature end to the UFC 202 news conference Wednesday for Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor.
After Diaz answered a few questions alone because McGregor arrived nearly 30 minutes late for the session at the MGM Grand, Diaz stormed off the stage minutes after McGregor appeared and began answering questions.
Security officers who watched the scene play out said Diaz's older brother, Nick, a former UFC welterweight title challenger, helped instigate the melee by urging his brother to leave.
As Diaz and an entourage of more than 20 friends left the David Copperfield Theater, Diaz and McGregor began shouting expletives at each other, and then the Diaz group began launching plastic drink bottles that appeared full in the direction of McGregor and his friends.
McGregor's girlfriend was hit directly on the right arm by a big roll of black masking tape, as the bottles continued whizzing by.
McGregor was visibly upset and had to be restrained from going after the Diaz group, which included UFC fighters Gilbert Melendez and Jake Shields, before UFC President Dana White ended the news conference.
McGregor and Diaz fight in a welterweight rematch to headline UFC 202 Saturday night in Las Vegas. Diaz submitted McGregor, the featherweight champion, in the second round of a hastily arranged nontitle fight at UFC 196 on March 5. The Irishman agreed to move up from his 145-pound weight class to fight Diaz at 170 pounds when featherweight challenger Rafael dos Anjos was injured while training for UFC 196.
