UFC: Lawsuit in motion following Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor press conference

Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz are in hot water after their UFC press conference exploded ahead of tomorrow's fight. Photo / AP

THE UFC 202 pre-fight press conference may have stirred up a few more pay-per-view buys for Saturday night, but that money might go right back out the door for a lawsuit that's already in motion.

According to UFC president Dana White, the wheels are in motion for a lawsuit after Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor started launching water bottles, cans and even coffee cups at each other during the press conference in Las Vegas.

The volatile situation exploded when Diaz left his seat and walked out of the press conference before tossing his water bottle in McGregor's direction. At that point, camps for both fighters were shouting at each other and before long McGregor was grabbing full cans and bottles from the stage and firing them back at his opponent.

White says the repercussions for those actions will be quite costly because a lawsuit is being filed after somebody was apparently injured during the melee.

"The word is in this thing somebody was injured, so there's going to be a lawsuit," White told TMZ on Thursday. "Who knows how it's all going to play out. Somebody's filing a lawsuit. The wheels are already in motion on it."

White said the lawsuit is just one problem McGregor and Diaz will face after the altercation on Wednesday erupted because both fighters could also face potential punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission over the matter.

"They're both getting punished," White said. "What everybody's got to understand is we're overseen by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I guarantee both of these guys are gonna get massive fines and there's probably going to be a hearing after the fight.

"There could be suspensions, community service, it's gonna be ugly."

There were rumours after the press conference was over that at least part of the madness that unfolded was premeditated by Diaz and his team after he got up from the table and left just minutes following McGregor's arrival.

White shot down that conspiracy theory while pointing out that the end result was a dangerous and likely very costly exchange that could backfire on Diaz and McGregor in the end.

"It was 100 per cent real," White said. "If you're going to come up with something staged, throwing cans and bottles on a stage is probably one of the dumbest things you could come up with.

"It's going to cost them both a lot of money, a lot of headache and hassle. They're both in big trouble."