WWE legend Jim Ross: Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz are like Ric Flair and Roddy Piper

After more than 40 years in the professional wrestling industry, Jim Ross knows a little something about marketability. The legendary commentator and WWE Hall of Fame inductee has long followed the sport of MMA. Unsurprisingly, he said he finds himself drawn to the UFC 196 main event between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz.

Diaz (18-10 MMA, 13-8 UFC) stepped up to face featherweight champion McGregor (19-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) on short notice when lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos (25-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) pulled out of their lightweight title bout due to a foot injury. The fight between Diaz and McGregor was immediately compelling due to the trash-talking abilities of both fighters.

That, Ross told MMAjunkie Radio, is what makes the fight a best-case scenario with little promotional time available.

“I think the ability of both guys to communicate is going to create a lot of interest,” Ross said. “It will be abbreviated; it’ll be a very intense, frenetic situation where we’ll hear a lot of great soundbites. I think it’ll make everybody forget what has been canceled – what’s not to be, but what is going to be. And that really is what you’ve got to deal with because that other fight is not going to happen now. It’s over now – until later maybe. I’ve thought this all along, but I didn’t know what shape Diaz was in, or where he stood. I think it’s a great fight. I Think (UFC President Dana White) and his guys have done a great job because the fight has interest and people will love the controversy. Those two guys will create the controversy themselves.”

Ross spent portions of his career not only behind the microphone, but responsible for talent acquisition. In the 2000’s, Ross was Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE (for a period of that time called WWF). During – and prior to – that period, he was one of the main individuals responsible for acquiring new talent.

His experience in identifying values that connect personalities with fans affords Ross insight into what makes fighters like McGregor and Diaz special in the combat sports world.

“It’s one of those intangible things,” Ross said. “I had the opportunity to hire a lot of talent for WWE back in the day – some pretty good guys, as a matter of fact. But there’s an intangible ‘it factor’ that you have to feel. It’s a feel thing; you can’t quantify it like, ‘He’s the right height, he fits all the measurables and everything.’ It’s a matter of the ‘it’ thing where you are motivated to listen to what they have to say, you’re anxious to the next thing they say and when they’re fighting you can’t take your eyes off of them and want to be a part of that fight. You want to buy the pay-per-view.

“Looking at old wrestling terms, they’re like (Ric) Flair and (Roddy) Piper. They’re both great talkers and they know what to say, when to say it and what to say to piss you off. Diaz has done a good job of ruffling the feathers of every Irish person in the world. And he should, in a sensible way, obviously. That’s what they do. I would say, in this fight is Diaz the heel or is he the babyface? Or does it matter? Because both guys are going to have their camps and I think there are going to be a lot of people who aren’t necessarily fans of both, but they are going to be interested in the process and it’s going to be a heck of a fight.”

Check out the full video above.

For more on UFC 196, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM Ch. 93, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.