The main event of UFC 202 could only described one way – a ‘dog fight’. The most anticipated fight in UFC history lived up to the hype, but it was Conor McGregor who got the nod after five gruelling rounds.
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McGregor entered the octagon with his entire reputation on the line. After being criticised for his lack of heart and less-developed ground game, another loss for the featherweight champion would have seen his hype-train well and truly derailed.
Moreover, the pre-fight antics, which saw McGregor nearly come to blows with Diaz and his whole team, upped the ante that much more.
McGregor entered the octagon looking much more stiff than normal, as the gravity of the situation started to hit him for the first time in his UFC career.
Diaz walked into the cage looking as he always did. Mean, confident and ready to fight.
McGregor looked like a completely different in the first round, as his approach to Diaz seemed to have changed his style significantly. It worked to his advantage.
McGregor put on a show in the first round, busting Diaz’s lead leg with vicious leg kicks, before dropping him with a hard left hand. McGregor finished the round strong, and it looked like that was the direction the fight was going to go.
However, Diaz had other plans. McGregor started off the second round in similar fashion, dropping Diaz, but the Stockton native managed to weather the storm and pour it on McGregor near the end of the second round. It was the bell that saved Conor McGregor in the end.
McGregor came out of the gates in the third round looking very tired, but despite Diaz’s persistence, still managed to stuff the takedown attempts. McGregor was forced to circle away from Diaz who has stalking him and taunting him the whole way, before pouring it on him late once again until the buzzer.
Rounds four and five saw McGregor find his second wind, but Diaz was clearly the fresher fighter still. McGregor managed to land some hard shots that saw Diaz start bleeding quite profusely from the eye, but both men would land good shots on the exchange, and neither would back down.
McGregor was doing well to land and then circle away, as stamina came into play once again. Diaz managed to get a hold of McGregor who was avoiding the takedown and watching the clock. Diaz finally got McGregor down to end a wild and exciting fight.
The crowd erupted for both men as the judges rendered their decision. Two of the judges scored the contest 48-47 in the favour of Conor McGregor, with the third scoring it 47-47 for a draw, much to the dismay of Nate Diaz.
McGregor took to the mic to claim that “the king is back,” and offered Nate Diaz a third fight at lightweight.
Diaz claimed he thought that he won the fight, but the UFC can’t have him winning because he is “too real.” Diaz will be happy with his fight purse however, pocketing a cool US$2 million show money. McGregor earned a recording setting US$3 million.
Diaz also expressed his interest in a third fight with McGregor, and at this stage it seems that rubber match will take place at 155 pounds.
With that being said, UFC president Dana White has stated that “win, lose or draw,” McGregor either has to go back down to featherweight and defend his belt, or let it go.
Main Card
Welterweight: Conor McGregor def. Nate Diaz via majority decision (48-47, 47-47, 48-47)
Light Heavyweight: Anthony Johnson def. Glover Teixeira via knockout (punch) 0:13, R1
Welterweight: Donald Cerrone def. Rick Story via TKO (head kick & punches) 2:02, R2
Welterweight: Mike Perry def. Hyun Gyu Lim via TKO (punches) 3:38, R1
Welterweight: Tim Means def. Sabah Homasi via TKO (punches) 2:56, R2
Prelims
Bantamweight: Cody Garbrandt def. Takeya Mizugaki via TKO (punches) 0:48, R1
Women’s Bantamweight: Raquel Pennington def. Elizabeth Phillips via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight: Artem Lobov def. Chris Avila via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Women’s Strawweight: Cortney Casey def. Randa Markos via verbal submission (arm-bar) 4:34, R1
Early Prelims
Welterweight: Lorenz Larkin def. Neil Magny via TKO (elbows) 4:08, R1
Welterweight: Colby Covington def. Max Griffin via TKO (punches) 2:18, R3
Middleweight: Marvin Vettori def. Alberto Uda via submission (guillotine choke) 4:30, R1
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