3. Score Evened
Conor McGregor could breathe a little easier after this one. The reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder took a majority decision from Nate Diaz in the UFC 202 headliner on Aug. 20, 2016 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Judges Derek Cleary and Jeff Mullen awarded McGregor 48-47 scorecards, while Glenn Trowbridge ruled it a 47-47 draw. The long-awaited non-title rematch resulted in a “Fight of the Year” contender and pulled McGregor even at 1-1 in their head-to-head series. The SBG Ireland star focused on Diaz’s lead leg early in the bout, ripping into his thigh with crushing kicks. It led to a more stationary Diaz and left him susceptible to punches. McGregor knocked down the Californian three times in the first two rounds but failed to generate the stoppage he predicted. His pace slowed late in the second round and into the third, as Diaz upped the pressure and began slamming multi-punch combinations into his body and head. He was also effective in the clinch, as he trapped McGregor along the fence and unleashed with punches, knees and occasional standing elbows. None of it was enough to put away “The Notorious” one. McGregor found his second wind in the fourth round and began peppering his rival with lefts and rights upstairs. Bleeding from multiple cuts, Diaz kept firing back and beckoned McGregor to do the same. With the outcome still in doubt, Diaz made a last-ditch move in Round 5, where he whiffed on two takedowns but executed the third. He spent the closing seconds on top pummeling McGregor with ground-and-pound. However, the finish Diaz needed failed to materialize, and the stage was set for a possible trilogy.
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