Current UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor doesn’t seem to want to dwell on his first UFC loss, and has been nothing but complimentary of the man who defeated him, Nate Diaz
UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor may have suffered a major loss on Saturday at UFC 196, but the Irishman doesn’t appear to be allowing this to keep him down. After losing via submission against lightweight contender Nate Diaz, McGregor kept an outlook rooted in determination during the post-fight press conference and seemed resigned to continue onward and not dwell on the loss, instead looking at the experience as an opportunity to grow and learn (courtesy of Marc Raimondi at MMAFighting).
“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we can either run from adversity or we can face our adversity head on and conquer it, and that’s what I plan to do. It wasn’t ideal, I got caught. It is what it is. I’ll face it. I’ll take it on the chin. And I’ll carry on. I’ll learn from it. And that’s it.”
He also showed a great degree of praise for his opponent, Nate Diaz. McGregor lauded the Stockton native for his tenacity and ability to capitalize on the opportunities presented during the fight.
“I enjoyed the fact that a person could take the shots and keep coming, he kept his composure. He went into almost autopilot mode with the shots. His face was busted up. And I went into panic mode. It was just a shift of energy and he capitalized on it. I think with a bit of adjustment and a bit of recognition it must take more than one, more than two, more than three to put the heavier man away. I think if I go in with that mindset at a heavier weight I think I will do fine again.”
More than anything, it seems to be all credit and not much in the way of excuses or lack of acknowledgment of Diaz’s talent and/or performance overall. No immediate plans for either fighter was made after the event, although various ideas have been tossed around. Given his propensity for getting into major controversies and big fights, it won’t be long before we hear from him again.