UFC 196 free fight: Conor McGregor vs. Diego Brandao full fight video

Before Conor McGregor takes on Nate Diaz at UFC 196, watch McGregor’s 1st round stoppage win over Diego Brandao in an unforgettable main event at UFC Fight Night in Dublin, Ireland.

Conor McGregor’s first UFC main event was supposed to be against Cole Miller at UFC Fight Night in Dublin, Ireland on July 19th, 2014. Miller pulled out with an injury, so in stepped Brazil’s Diego Brandao to face “The Notorious” one in front of a raucous and incredibly boisterous crowd.

The Fight Pass-streamed main event saw McGregor stop Brandao at 4:05 of round 1 after hurting Brandao with a hard left hand and a thudding right to the body, then one more left to send Diego to the canvas. McGregor continued the onslaught of punches until the fight stopped, sending the crowd into mass hysteria. Conor would knockout Dustin Poirier just a few months later, then pick off Dennis Siver, Chad Mendes, and Jose Aldo in a phenomenal 2015.

You can watch the full fight video at the top of the page.

Here’s Dallas Winston’s play-by-play of the fight:

McGregor wheels out a spinning kick and both fighters deploy salvos of leather with both hands. Brandao clinches up and puts McGregor on the fence but McGregor circles to switch positions. Knee to the ribs for Brandao but he’s taken down with a trip. McGregor postures up and Brandao boots him off with both feet, then dodges a foot lock when he jumps back into Brandao’s guard. Brandao angles for an armbar and McGregor stacks him to break the grip.

Half butterfly for Brandao with good posture control. McGregor gives him enough room to push off and escape but McGregor tags Brandao with a shot on his way back up. Roundhouse kick for McGregor but he narrowly avoids a Brandao haymaker. McGregor thuds a left hand right through Brandao’s defense and the sheer power of impact breaks Brandao’s guard open, allowing McGregor to slice a long left through the opening that meets Brandao’s jaw. Brandao wilts to the canvas in slow-motion where McGregor unloads left hands until the ref pulls him off.

And here’s the decidedly indifferent response in the comments section to McGregor’s win:

McGregor takes on Nate Diaz at 170 lbs in the UFC 196 main event on March 5th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.