McGregor controlled his bout with Nate Diaz for the better part of two rounds Saturday in the main event of UFC 196 before a raucous crowd at the MGM Grand Garden.
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Main event victor Nate Diaz banked two bonuses while the newly crowned women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate took home a Performance of the Night check. I respect Nate. He came in, he took the fight on short notice, he came in at 170 and done the job. He usually fights at 155 pounds, and McGregor is the 145-pound champion. In the second frame, Diaz landed a left hand that hurt the Irishman. Diaz then locked in a deep rear naked choke and got the tap from McGregor who was defeated for the first ever time in the UFC to shock of the packed out arena and millions watching around the world. It looked exactly like a McGregor fight is supposed to, only Diaz did not go down.
Miesha Tate beat Holly Holm at UFC 196 by submission in the final round on Saturday night in Las Vegas, somewhat screwing up the UFC’s future plans.
With Miesha Tate holding the Women’s Batamweight belt, the promotion has to choose whether to pair Ronda Rousey with Tate for the championship or Holm in a rematch.
With the win in Vegas, Diaz is a victor of two in a row, while McGregor suffers his first loss in the Octagon.
“These things happen. I’ll learn and I’ll grow”, he said.
Tate dominated the second round before Holm came out stronger in the third.
From there on out it was all Diaz as McGregor backpeddled and got taken down to the mat.
“Hey, I’m not surprised mother f*ckers”, said Diaz when Joe Rogan asked him how it felt to get that victory.
“I’m freaking out inside”, Tate said.
In the beginning of the match, Holm looked calm as she used her distance and range to keep Tate on the end of her punches and kicks, launching a series of kicks to the body and legs to her opponent. Usually I fight a man in the division I’m champion in, and they crumble under those shots (I landed).
Tate was overwhelmed after finally reaching her longtime goal.
“(McGregor) punches hard”, Diaz said.
‘I think UFC 200 is there for me, but I’ll figure it out in the morning. She’s very risky. She’s capable of catching anyone at any moment. “I knew I had to play it cool with her, because she’s so good”. And “drop them cold” was, very early on, clearly not going to work against Diaz.
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“I feel we had a great game plan”, said Tate, also a former Strikeforce titleholder. “It was stupid, and I should have fought it off more”.
