UFC 202 Pivotal Moments: Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor 2, rounds 1 & 2

What does great mean? We could be corny and go to the dictionary definition, but in combat sports the term carries special significance. A dominant champion is great, as he must constantly adapt and improve to defend his title from a list of increasingly well-prepared challengers. A trainer is great if he carries multiple fighters to world titles, or revitalizes the career of a fighter who seems set in his ways.

Often those fighters are great in their own right. It takes special discipline and aplomb to overcome the tendencies of one’s own style, which are often intrinsically tied to the fighter’s personality, and every bit as difficult to tame.

A fight can be great too. Exciting fights are fairly commonplace, but a great fight demands something more. For their contest to be great, the fighters must bring the best out of one another. They must do so repeatedly, each success inspiring their opponent to find success of his own. Great fights are defined by momentum swings; like a great novel, they possess the push-and-pull of conflict which drives the story onward.

With a win over Nate Diaz at UFC 202, Conor McGregor has established himself as a great fighter. But it was only with the help of Nate Diaz that he was able to create a great fight. From one round to the next, the outcome of their contest was uncertain. Just as McGregor seemed to put his stamp on the action, Diaz would press back and turn the tide in his favor. And while that momentum shift was enough to steal Diaz the fight in their first encounter at UFC 196, McGregor failed to give in this time around. He too came back, battling himself every bit as much as he battled his opponent.

If momentum swings are what make a memorable fight, what better way to break that fight down than by analyzing each dramatic change of fortune?

These are the Pivotal Moments of Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor II.

ROUND ONE

When Conor McGregor first met Nate Diaz in the cage, it was the first time in his stellar UFC career that the featherweight champion found himself in the midst of a truly difficult style matchup. He had faced skilled opponents before, but not one of them was able to press McGregor’s weaknesses. Worse, he had beaten many of these opponents so easily that, in the leadup to UFC 196, he seemed to think that those weaknesses didn’t exist. In a word, McGregor’s experience had taught him one thing: no one could stand with him and survive.

Nate Diaz brought a different kind of experience to the cage. In his last fight he had beaten Michael Johnson, an athletic southpaw not totally unlike McGregor. But arguably more valuable were the fights which preceded that. Diaz had been battered by Rafael Dos Anjos. Prior to that, Josh Thomson handed him the first and only knockout loss of his career, just four months after Diaz lost decisively in his long-awaited shot at the lightweight title.

To a man like McGregor, these losses suggested weakness, but in truth they showed that Diaz could lose–badly–and recover. His losses bolstered his strength, and at the same time checked his overconfidence. He knew he could beat McGregor, but he also knew he could be beaten. He refused to underestimate the man who seriously underestimated him, and it led him to victory.

But in defeating McGregor, Diaz gifted him some of that same experience. Knowing for certain that he could be beaten now, McGregor changed his approach. Dramatically. He came into the rematch with a different mindset, a different gameplan, and a newfound respect for the skills of Nate Diaz.

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1. After an exchange, McGregor stalks forward.

2. He feints low and sees Diaz’s hands come up, perhaps anticipating an overhand left.

3. Diaz tries to reset, but McGregor stays between him and freedom.

4. And quickly lunges in, dipping down again, and selling the left hand with a feint. Diaz’s hands go up . . .

5. . . . and McGregor lands a right hook to the body.

6. The left hand follows, just clipping Diaz behind the ear.

7. But it’s enough to …

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