The "Notorious" Conor McGregor got his revenge on Saturday night (Aug. 20), with a decision victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in Las Vegas.
I wasn't an easy win though, it was a bloody brawl that saw both fighters take a tremendous beating and overcome adversity to make it through all five rounds. In the end, the judges' scorecards read 48-47, 47-47, 48-47, giving McGregor a majority decision... and his redemption five months after being submitted by Diaz at UFC 196.
"Surprise, surprise, motherf*cker, the king is back!" McGregor shouted after the win, before hinting at a trilogy... but on his terms. "I came with the 170, faced the bigger man, overcame my adversity. Now you want this trilogy? It's on my terms. Come back down to 155, we'll do it," he concluded.
Diaz, meanwhile, felt he should have won the fight, arguing he's "too real" for the UFC. He, too, called for a third fight against McGregor.
McGregor was precise with everything he threw earlier on, keeping Diaz at bay with leg kicks and counterpunches, and dropping him three times inside the first two rounds.
But, Nate was able to weather the storm and poured it on heavy in the third round, as McGregor gassed out. Diaz bullied Conor, pushing him up against the cage and unloading a flurry of punches to the body and head, while mixing in a few elbows for good measure. McGregor appeared to barely make it out of the third round, as the bell dinged.
Despite the turnaround, in the four and beginning of the fifth, McGregor got a second wind, hitting Diaz with pop shots at will, as blood poured into Diaz's eyes, making it hard for him to see. Nate did finish off the fight with a flurry against the cage and last second take down, but it just wasn't enough to earn win.
All in all, it was a war... and worth every penny to the viewers. Can't wait for McGregor-Diaz 3!
According to ESPN, McGregor earned a $3 million purse for his rematch against Diaz at UFC 202, the richest disclosed purse in MMA history. Meanwhile, Diaz will make $2 million in disclosed pay, his biggest payday ever.
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