Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz UFC 196: MMA fight date, time and how to watch on TV... all you need to know about showdown

Conor McGregor will make his much anticipated return to the UFC Octagon against late-replacement Nate Diaz on Saturday night as he goes up 25lbs from featherweight (155lbs) to welterweight (170lbs).

The Irishman, now arguably the UFC's biggest star, faces the next intriguing test in his enthralling career as he pursues his eighth victory in a row since joining mixed martial arts' premier promotion in 2013.

Here, Sportsmail tells you everything you need to know ahead of this weekend's UFC 196 main event.

Conor McGregor (left) squared off with Nate Diaz (right) at a press conference in California last week

Where is it?

For the fourth time in his last five UFC bouts Conor McGregor will fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. While it must be starting to feel like home to the Irishman, he has only fought for 11 minutes and 16 seconds in the Octagon in his three fights in Sin City, his last the blistering 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo in December.

Vegas has also been a happy hunting-ground for Diaz in recent years, with two of his biggest UFC wins coming in Nevada. The 31-year-old scored the only knockout victory of his career against Gray Maynard in Vegas in November 2013 and decisioned top lightweight contender Donald Cerrone at the MGM Grand in 2011.

McGregor returns to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas where he won his UFC featherweight belt in December

When is it?

The pair will do battle on Saturday night (Sunday morning GMT) with the main card starting at 3am in the UK. McGregor and Diaz will likely be in the Octagon at around 5.30am.

Where can I watch it?

The undercard (starting at 1am) and the main card will both be shown live on BT Sport 2 in the UK while the fights are live only on pay-per-view in the US.

The early preliminary fights, which start at 11.30pm, will be shown live on UFC Fight Pass. 

Diaz last fought in Las Vegas in 2013 when he stopped former title contender Gray Maynard in the first round

What are their fight records?

Featherweight champion McGregor has a perfect record in the UFC with seven wins from seven. Six by knockout or TKO and one by decision. His overall MMA record is 19-2 but the Irishman has not lost since 2010.

Diaz has a less impressive record of 19-10 but has fought a who's who of UFC talent having arrived in the organisation in 2007. The Stockton badboy has also lost three of his last five but is coming off an impressive decision win over then No 6 lightweight Michael Johnson.

McGregor is undefeated in the UFC and has finished six of his last seven opponents by knockout or TKO

What have they had to say about each other?

McGregor has been far less scathing about Diaz than he has with his other opponents, but he has made several digs at the 31-year-old, which include putting him in his older brother Nick's shadow and making fun of his hard-man persona.

'I like Nick's little brother, I honestly do,' McGregor said at a pre-fight press conference last week.

'He's like a little gangster from the hood but at the same time he coaches kids jiu jitsu on a Sunday morning and goes on bike rides with the elderly.

Irishman McGregor looks on, wearing white boxing gloves and green shorts at the open workout session

'Makes gun signs with the left hand and animal balloons with the right hand.'

Diaz decided to attack McGregor's achievements at the press conference, saying that he 'knocked out three midgets'.

He also accused the Irishman of being on steroids as well as the rest of the UFC roster. In response to which McGregor pointed out that two of Diaz's team-mates had been pulled up for drug test violations. 

Do they have any previous history?

They haven't had any confrontations as such but the fight has been on the cards ever since last summer when Jose Aldo pulled out of his scheduled fight with McGregor at UFC 189. Diaz was one of the possible replacements then but the Irishman ended up fighting Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight title.

Diaz called out McGregor after winning his last fight in December in a foul-mouthed rant which no doubt was a factor in the UFC and McGregor choosing the 31-year-old to replace injured Rafael dos Anjos in Saturday's main event.

Diaz called out McGregor in a foul-mouthed rant after beating Michael Johnson last December

When is the weigh-in?

The weigh-in takes place on Friday evening in the US and will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass at midnight in the UK.

Who are the trainers?

McGregor trains at Straight Blast Gym in Dublin under long-time coach John Kavanagh while Diaz fights out of Caesar Gracie's gym in Pleasant Hill, California, with his brother Nick.

Who are the referee/judges?

Herb Dean, who was the third man in the Octagon for Michael Bisping's action-packed fight with Anderson Silva has once again landed the main event for UFC 196 a week later.

The judges for the fight will be Derek Cleary, Sal D'Amato, and Junichiro Kamijo, but if McGregor's previous record is anything to go by they are unlikely to be needed. 

Herb Dean (left) will referee the main event, fresh from presiding over the main event at UFC London

What are the odds?

McGregor is the heavy favourite for the fight with some bookmakers having the Irishman at 3/19 to win. Diaz can be backed at odds of 4/1.

The flexible 27-year-old mixed martial artist gets into a fighting position as he puts on a show for fans

Anyone else worth watching on the main card?

The co-main event, which sees Holly Holm defend her women's bantamweight title against Miesha Tate, should be a great fight. Holm shocked the world when she knocked out Ronda Rousey in November last year but many believe that gritty wrestler-based fighter Tate could be a much trickier style match-up for the decorated boxer and kickboxer than Rousey was.

Miesha Tate believes she can give Holly Holm a taste of her own medicine by knocking out the UFC champion

Holm is determined to prove she is no flash in the pan after inflicting a first-ever defeat on Ronda Rousey

There's another intriguing women's match-up on the card as rising star Amanda Nunes looks to move a step close to a bantamweight title shot when she faces elite striker Valentina Shevchenko who impressively beat Sarah Kaufman in her UFC debut in December.

For those who won't be staying up until 5am the main event of the UFC Fight Pass section of the card is headlined by a battle between seasoned lightweights Diego Sanchez and Jim Miller.

Sanchez's fights are never boring and both have been at the top of the game for a long time.

Nate Diaz also took part in an open training session in Las Vegas ahead of his fight with McGregor at UFC 196

Diaz is a 4/1 underdog for the fight while McGregor is as heavy a favourite at 3/19 with some bookies