Conor McGregor has beaten Nate Diaz after the mother of all slug-fests at UFC 202, winning by majority decision 48-47, 47-47, 48-47. It went the full distance, McGregor edging 25 exhaustive minutes, mainly due to a technically perfect first round: keeping a distance, with the capital investment of kicks to Diaz' legs.
Diaz rallied, with his sheer size hurting McGregor in the third, but with McGregor loathe to get in a brawl in the later rounds, his keeping distance along with some superb takedown defence late on earned him the decision.
To put McGregor's achievement into context: this was the first time he had ever gone to a fourth round in the UFC, never mind a fifth.
Both men called for a third installment in the immediate aftermath, so it's fair to say this may not be the final time we see this rivalry. Dos Anjos has accidentally stirred one of the great rivalries of the sport. Here's how the MMA World reacted:
Respect between both men. Absolute warriors. What a fight.
— Seán Sheehan (@SeanSheehanBA) August 21, 2016
That was the best fight I've ever watched live.
— Andrew McGahon (@andrewmcgahon_) August 21, 2016
Conor fought a very very smart standup fight early and still showed how impossibly hard it is to beat a Diaz that way. #UFC202
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) August 21, 2016
Great show of respect. Two warriors. Unreal fight.
— Peter Carroll (@PetesyCarroll) August 21, 2016
A FUCKING CLASSIC!!! What a fight!!!! #UFC202
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) August 21, 2016
Rocky vs Apollo didn't have shit on that fight. #UFC202
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) August 21, 2016
WHAT A fight! #UFC202
— Niall McGrath (@niallmcgrath4) August 21, 2016
Holy shit. That might be the best fight I've ever seen. #UFC202
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) August 21, 2016
All the weirdness of this match-up aside, that was just a hell of a fight. Feels like we watched McGregor mature in there tonight.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) August 21, 2016
Diaz needs a stoppage to win on my card, but if you leave this fight with anything other than respect for both, stop watching MMA.
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) August 21, 2016
What an amazing fight. Lived up to all the hype. These guys are something else. Gotta feeling we'll see them together in there again:
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 21, 2016
A hole new respect for @TheNotoriousMMA .
You'll never best the Irish.
Some power in that back hand.— jono carroll (@jono_carroll) August 21, 2016
Heart wins fights well done @TheNotoriousMMA
— Neil 2 Tap Seery (@NeilSeeryMMA) August 21, 2016
The trilogy awaits completion, but it's fair round two belonged to Conor McGregor.
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