“Surprise surprise, motherfucker. The King is back.”
He certainly is.
Conor McGregor has gotten his first UFC defeat back after going 1-1 with his fiercest rival.
Five months removed from their initial meeting, which Nate Diaz claimed via second round submission, the pair took to the Octagon again in the main event of UFC 202.
In a battle of attrition in the T-Mobile Arena, McGregor displayed the kind of heart that was not yet required of him to claim a majority decision victory.
McGregor opened up with chopping kicks to the lead leg of Diaz, as many had predicted would be his gameplan, which took their toll on his flat-footed opponent.
Diaz dropped after 90 seconds under the weight of a left hand from the Dubliner but McGregor wisely opted out of jumping into the guard of the man who drew the tap from him in March as he motioned for him to return to his feet.
As Diaz’s leg purpled, his opponent continued to slip the jab in the first and countered at will, taking a clear 10-9.
Diaz was down early in the second after a looping overhand left sent him to his back and, after getting back to his feet, was given yet another spoon of hefty, vengeful medicine.
Towards the end of the second, McGregor appeared to start slowing and the Stockton fighter stalked him down and clinched against the fence with an onslaught of short hooks.
The second was the tightest round of the bunch but McGregor was given the nod and found himself 20-18 up.
A visibly fatigued McGregor stepped off his stool for the middle round and was clipped before Diaz tested his opponent’s endurance even more by initiating a gruelling clinch battle against the fence.
A half-hearted wheel kick was caught by the fourth-ranked lightweight in the world and he pointed and laughed at the deep breaths that McGregor sucked in as Diaz claimed the third.
McGregor seemed to get a second wind at the start of the fourth, the first of McGregor’s career, and he continued to hide his trusty left hand behind the ruby fog through which Diaz was squinting after a nasty cut was opened up on his cheek.
Diaz struggled to re-establish his boxing range and McGregor likely eked out the fourth.
Diaz was deep on a double leg midway through the fifth and final round but McGregor defended admirably but continued to rest and conserve.
Again, McGregor kept a tireless Diaz from dragging the bout to the mat and the round was largely decided through dirty boxing although Diaz was arguably more in control for the final stanza.
Diaz secured a massive takedown at the very death which could have stolen the round but couldn’t steal the decision.
Fittingly, and beautifully, Diaz pulled his rival to his feet and both men embraced after a bitter war of words ended in a bloody war of will that McGregor took via majority decision (48-47, 47-47, 48-47).
Let’s do it again.
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