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Although the first three fights were rather subdued, the co-main and main event more than lived up to the pre-fight hypeIf the first three fights on the main card represented the calm, then the final two certainly ushered in the storm. The fight game in all its glory wrought its own measure of poetic justice on the night’s proceedings as a largely uneventful first three match-ups in the UFC 196 main card was followed up by not one, but two shocking upsets to cap off the night.Well, at least shocking for the rest of the world, should you happen to ask Nate Diaz.In a see-sawing main event slugfest, Nate Diaz tapped out Conor McGregor in the second round after being bloodied up in the first, thereby turning the MMA world as we have come to know it, upside down.Not that it was the right side up to begin with in the first place, as Miesha Tate had already set the tone for an evening of upsets by prevailing over Holly Holm in her first Women’s Bantamweight Division title defence.Cast in the backdrop of a mouth-watering string of upcoming match-ups announced at the Unstoppable Press Conference yesterday, here then are 5 talking points from the UFC 196 event that played out at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in the fight capital of the world.
#5 One Hit Wonder?
Time and again, Holly Holm found herself at the mercy of the media flashlights following her dismantling of Ronda Rousey, although faced with effusive praise on her dominant performance and a new dawn in Women’s MMA.
And time and again, Holly Holm repeated that she was not getting carried away with her victory, instead merely reaffirming that she was training hard to not be a one-hit wonder.
It wouldn’t be the first time in the night that a poignant self-fulfilling prophecy would come back to haunt the perpetrator, but one has to ponder, if that is indeed what Holly Holm would be made out to be in the larger scheme of things.
Yes, she is a multiple time boxing champion, but with an abruptly curtailed reign sandwiched either side by former MMA champions in Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, Holly Holm may well go down in history books as a one-hit wonder after all.
Already 34 years old, the window of opportunity where her body is likely to hold up – especially after putting herself through a combined 52 professional bouts in various disciplines – is slowly but surely closing in on her.
#4 A Lifeline for Ronda Rousey?
Having averted six out of eight takedown attempts by Miesha Tate, some of them rather handily, it underscored how much of a striker versus grappler dynamic this match-up presented that the 2 takedowns that were secured on Holly Holm ultimately proved decisive.
Perhaps it did boil down to complacency as Holm claimed in the post-fight press conference, or perhaps it was due to the characteristic doggedness of Miesha Tate, but if the first takedown was a sign of things to come, the second one duly delivered the doom that was promised.
While Holly Holm dominated the fight on the feet and was cruising to victory in the fifth round, it was Miesha Tate’s never-say-die attitude that helped her stem the flow and eventually drag her opponent into deep water in the final minutes.
While this further shakes up the Women’s Bantamweight division, there is already a growing suspicion that Ronda Rousey – thanks to the two victories she already holds over Miesha Tate – may be the one most benefitted when all the dust settles.
#3 A storybook finish
When Conor McGregor resorted to an unconvincing takedown attempt after being rocked by an accurate one-two from Nate Diaz in the second round, it was representative of a poignant sense of destiny attached to how things come full circle in the fight game.
After often claiming that his opponents are the ones given to panic grappling when faced with his imposing stand-up game, it was indeed sobering that Conor McGregor himself tried to take the fight to the ground in an attempt to buy some time against Nate Diaz.
In his defence, though, he did appear to have round one in the bag, as Diaz looked rather susceptible to his uppercuts and straight lefts at the beginning.
But as it went, Diaz grew into the fight in round two, even as Conor faded, and quickly transitioned into the mount and forced the Irishman to give up his back in the lead up to the sequence that finished with the rear naked choke.
Especially after claiming that it was the documentary on Rickson Gracie titled “Choke” that had initially piqued his interest in martial arts, the manner of the finish with Rickson’s son, Kron Gracie, cornering him, had smatterings of a storybook element attached to it.
#2 UFC 200?
In a perfect world, Conor McGregor would have finished Nate Diaz within 2 rounds and exited the contest still fresh and raring to go for UFC 200.
However the fight having played out as it did, any early plans for UFC 200 seem to be scuppered considering that a potential Welterweight Title bout between Conor McGregor and Robbie Lawler is now rather unlikely.
Although when quizzed in the post-fight press conference if he is willing to fight again at the mega event, Conor McGregor did seem to acquiesce, albeit in a manner laced with reluctance and uncertainty.
Whether Conor faces Frankie Edgar or rematches Jose Aldo for the Featherweight Title next, the thought that their marquee star may not feature at their landmark show should surely send alarm bells ringing down the UFC hierarchy.
Especially considering that Ronda Rousey is not slated to compete up till November, and that Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, Dominick Cruz and Fabricio Werdum have all been confirmed to fight before July, UFC 200’s fate may well hinge on the return of a certain Canadian to timely action.
#1 What next for Nate Diaz?
Always adored by hardcore fight fans for their no-nonsense, never back down approach to fighting, the victory over Conor McGregor certainly smacked of validation for the Diaz brothers given how roughly Nick Diaz has been treated in the recent past.
And as for Nate Diaz, perhaps this may aid in accentuating his push into the sphere of MMA superstardom, where he can pick and choose his fights instead of playing by the rules and the ranking system in the UFC.
While a visibly chuffed Nate Diaz didn’t offer any concrete plans for his future following his victory, a Lightweight Title match against Rafael Dos Anjos seems to be a logical move forward given that a rematch could be sold on account of the win the Brazilian already holds over him.
Or if he decides to stay at Welterweight – with Carlos Condit, Tyron Woodley, Robbie Lawler or even George St.Pierre as prospective opponents – there seems to be no dearth of potential match-ups at that weight class either.
But perhaps the true silver lining in all of this is in noting how gladdening it is that Nate Diaz, a fighter who is beloved by many for the warrior spirit that he embodies, may have finally earned his first million dollar paycheck on the back of his victory over Conor McGregor.
