Conor McGregor has referred to UFC 202 as the ‘Real UFC 200’ and tonight the UFC probably wishes that this card had taken place in July.
The McGregor vs Diaz rematch lived up to, and in many ways surpassed, the expectations that have surrounded it.
The buzz around the rematch grew after Diaz tapped Conor at UFC 196 but it hit a speed bump in May when Dana White removed McGregor from the UFC 200 card. It remained under the radar until this past week when the two fighters threw bottles across the crowded UFC 200 press conference. The minor outburst made national news and casual fans were reminded of why they demanded a rematch in the first place.
That skirmish reignited excitement for tonight’s UFC 202 event.
For the first time in McGregor’s UFC career he faced a substantial amount of adversity and early in his fight with Nate Diaz he rose to the occasion. In the first round, Conor McGregor used a similar strategy to the one Rafael dos Anjos used to beat Diaz when they fought. Conor implemented a mixture of lead leg kicks and straight jabs to keep Nate off balance and control the distance of the fight. RDA was also at a distinct reach disadvantage when he fought Nate and was able to use the leg kicks to get inside the arms of Diaz.
The strategy helped Conor drop Nate three times in the first two rounds but at the end of the second round Nate Diaz was able to push Conor against the octagon and sap his energy in the clinch.
Nate then bludgeoned the gassed McGregor in the 3rd round, almost finishing Conor a few times in the process. McGregor was able to weather the storm, unlike in their first fight, and gain a second wind in the 4th round. It also helped that he returned to the leg kick/straight jab strategy that was successful early in the fight.
At that point Nate began to tire and Conor peppered him right hard left hands and elbows. That 4th round ended up being the deciding moment in the fight and showed that Conor McGregor’s heart is bigger than his left hand and his mental fortitude is far greater than, well you know.
In the 5th round both fighters had good moments but a late takedown by Nate Diaz secured him the round in the eyes of many.
An embrace between the two fighters after nearly 25 minutes of brawling showed that above all these men have respect for those that stand across from them. All of the jawing, taunting and profanity was all just a part of the mental warfare that makes both fighters unique. I still maintain that Nate Diaz is the only fighter to get into the head of Conor McGregor and he is also the only one to get him out of his game plan.
In the end it was McGregor standing in the octagon with his hand raised (48-47,47-47,48-47) and he can thank the months of mental preparation for the victory.
The next fight for both men is still unknown, and speculation of said fights are a bit premature, but we can be sure that this fight only boosted the mystique of both men. They both leave T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada as winners; and not just because of their $5 million combined guaranteed contracts. They will now move on to challenge for titles, main event cards and book appearances outside of the realm of the UFC.
That is until they meet up for the rubber match.