The mixed martial arts (MMA) world is understandably still digesting the fallout of last night’s (Sat., March 5, 2016) epic UFC 196 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and for good reason.
Formerly steamrolling 145-pound titleholder Conor McGregor infamously lost a bout he was winning thank to the gritty toughness, accurate boxing, and dangerous jiu-jitsu of Nate Diaz, who weathered an early storm of powerful straight lefts and uppercuts to submit ‘The Notorious’ with an impressive second round rear naked choke (watch the full video highlights here).
It was a historic win for Diaz, but for the prohibitive betting favorite McGregor, it was a gamble that ultimately didn’t pay off after he accepted a short notice fight two weight classes up from his usual 145 pounds.
The Irish slugger deservedly shouldn’t lose much standing overall, as he’s still featherweight champ and has a clear path to a title defense at UFC 200 this July. He could also certainly come back to defend his belt and eventually fight for the 155-pound strap as originally planned if he can pick up a few wins.
But his air of invincibility is gone, as are the potential super fights with lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos and welterweight champion Robbie Lawler; at least for now. His detractors will also suggest that he was heavily exposed in the area of weakness everyone has always pointed to, his ground game. Overall, it was most likely a mix of motivating factors that lead to McGregor’s first-ever loss inside the Octagon.
Overall, McGregor may have just bit off a bit more than he could chew. Let’s take a look at the major reasons he lost to Diaz at UFC 196.
The post Hype Derailed? Five Humbling Reasons Conor McGregor Lost To Nate Diaz appeared first on LowKick MMA.