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On March 5, 2016, Nate Diaz shocked the world when he handed 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor his first loss in the UFC. Before this fight, the Irishman was riding a 15-fight win streak.
Conor McGregor is undoubtedly the biggest star in the world of MMA. He shot to fame by knocking Jose Aldo out in 13 seconds to win the undisputed UFC featherweight championship. Before meeting McGregor's left cross, Aldo had been undefeated for nearly ten years.
Conor McGregor was scheduled to face then-lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in a lightweight title fight. Aiming to repeat his Cage Warriors feat, McGregor was gunning to become the first champ-champ in UFC history. However, RDA was forced to pull out of the fight due to a foot injury.
Jose Aldo was offered the fight, as was Frankie Edgar. They both turned the fight down, and another name emerged. Stockton native Nate Diaz willingly offered to fight the Irishman on 11 days' notice. The two combatants agreed to fight at welterweight to avoid a short-notice weight cut.
Nate Diaz's eagerness to fight McGregor wasn't too surprising, given that he had called out 'Notorious' in one of the most famous callouts in UFC history.
How did Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 1 play out?
In the first round, Conor McGregor came out gunning for a finish, throwing heavy hands at Diaz. What he realized, and later even admitted at the press conference, was that a welterweight could eat his shots much better than the featherweights he was knocking out. To add to that, the fighter he was facing was Nate Diaz.
The Stockton native is known for his iron chin and relentless cardio. Although Diaz was used to competing at lightweight, his massive gas tank and granite chin kept him extremely comfortable throughout the bout. During the fight, commentator Mike Goldberg said something that rings true to this day:
"Conor is busting Nate up. Which in the Diaz world means absolutely nothing."
This is a perfect summary of the Stockton brawler. Diaz has scar tissue above his eyes that cuts easily, as a result of which he is a bloody mess not long after a fight begins. However, Nate Diaz is famous for his attitude and pressure inside the octagon, never once retreating in the face of adversity.
Conor McGregor hit Diaz with some good shots in the first round but became visibly fatigued. Then, in the second frame, Nate Diaz hit McGregor with a 1-2 and had him wobbled. 'Notorious' circled the cage to buy himself time and managed to recover, only to get rocked again.
Desperate for a way out, Conor McGregor shot for a takedown. This was the beginning of the end because Diaz is a third-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The Stockton brawler sprawled and managed to get top-mount over McGregor. 'Notorious' eventually rolled over and gave his back, and that was all Nate Diaz needed. He sunk in a rear-naked choke and forced the Irishman to tap at 4:12 of the second round.
In another moment that will live on forever, Nate Diaz confidently asserted after the fight that he wasn't surprised with the outcome.
Watch the full fight below:
