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Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz is one of the biggest and most exciting rivalries ever to come out of the UFC. The iconic rivalry started back in March 2016.
The UFC recently released the entire fight on their YouTube channel. Watch Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 2 below:
McGregor was freshly coming off a historic fight against Jose Aldo at UFC 194, where he knocked out the Brazilian legend in just 13 seconds to become the UFC featherweight champion.
The Irishman moved up in weight to fight Rafael Dos Anjos for the lightweight championship. But Dos Anjos had to pull out of the fight due to an injury. Nick Diaz's younger brother Nate Diaz stepped up as a short-notice replacement for the Brazilian.
'The Stockton Slugger' got the fight owing to his previous call out of McGregor:
When the two fighters came face-to-face in the octagon for the first time, Nate Diaz pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. He submitted 'The Notorious' in the second round of the fight via rear-naked choke.
To avenge his first loss in the UFC, 'Mystic Mac' called for a rematch with Diaz. The UFC granted his wish, and the two fighters were matched up again for UFC 202.
Also read: 3 amazing fights that make UFC Fight Pass worth getting
What followed was one of the most iconic fights ever to take place in the UFC. Love poured in from every corner of the MMA world for the two fighters after their barn-burner of a fight.
Here are three reasons why Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz 2 is one of the best UFC fights ever:
#3 The rematch consisted of two huge UFC stars instead of one
Before their first fight, many people knew who Conor McGregor was but were unaware of 'The Stockton Slugger.' But Diaz's stock skyrocketed after his dominant win over the Irishman.
Before the fight, he was mostly known as Nick Diaz's younger brother. But later, people started recognizing Nate as the guy who beat McGregor. After the fight, Diaz started hanging out with celebrities and making appearances on late-night talk shows.
The shared star power of the two fighters made Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 2 one of the biggest fights in UFC history. The fight did 1.65 million PPV buys, making it one of the most successful events in the history of the promotion.
#2 Conor McGregor made a triumphant comeback after first UFC loss
Conor McGregor was perceived to be invincible before his fight with Nate Diaz. But 'The Stockton Slugger' convincingly broke the Irishman's aura of invincibility. 'The Notorious' took the submission loss on his chin and started preparing for the rematch.
Many were interested to see how McGregor would bounce back, and he did not disappoint. 'The Notorious' was much better prepared for the second fight and won a majority decision after a hard-fought 25-minute fight.
#1 The rematch was 25-minute back-and-forth war
Regardless of pre-fight hype and antics, iconic fights cannot be manufactured. Although the build-up to the rematch had some pretty interesting drama and trash talk, it was the 25-minute war itself that was etched in people's memories as one of the greatest fights ever.
McGregor did well in the first couple of rounds, but Diaz made a solid comeback in the third round. The fight was razor-close, with both fighters leaving everything they had inside the octagon.
Also read: What was the scorecard of Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 2 at UFC 202?
It has been five years since the rematch, and people are still asking for a third iteration of Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz.
