Conor McGregor analyses where things went wrong at UFC 196 and admits that he overlooked Nate Diaz’ experience in the fight game.
UFC 196 saw Nate Diaz shock the world and hand Conor McGregor his first loss in six years by submitting the Irishman in the main event.
Diaz, who accepted the fight on short notice, entered the bout as a considerable underdog and ‘The Notorious’ believes he underestimated some of the Californian’s biggest assets.
“I didn’t give enough credit to Nate’s durability…his experience,” McGregor said in a UFC 202 media conference call on Friday. “He’s a very experienced fighter; he’s had more UFC fights than I’ve had fights. But also, his height and his range and his reactions. I gave no respect to that and marched forwards.”
Diaz won The Ultimate Fighter Series 5 and has been competing in MMA’s premiere promotion since 2007. The fan favorite has a wealth of experience under his belt and is known for his durability and tenacity. In 29 professional fights, Diaz has only been stopped due to strikes once — Josh Thompson TKO’d him at UFC on FOX 7 — and has fought some of the most elite fighters in the game. The Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt fought for the lightweight title in 2012, losing to then-champion Benson Henderson via unanimous decision at UFC on FOX 5.
Although McGregor issued his respect to Diaz in the conference call, ‘The Notorious’ was sure to remind everyone that he got the better of Nate in many of the exchanges.
“In fairness, for the first two rounds – for the first round and a half he was a heavy bag with eyeballs,” McGregor said. “His durability held out and his experience held out for him. So, for this time I’ve been preparing for that. I’ve been preparing to face a durable, experienced fighter who has the reach, the height, and the length.”
UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor II will take place later this month, August 20th, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.