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Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz | Iconic UFC Rivalries
Looking Back At One Of The Octagon’s Most Unexpected Yet Heated Feuds Between Two Of The UFC’s All-Time Biggest Stars
There’s nothing like a UFC main event when the two athletes involved despise each other in some way.
But what makes a great rivalry is not just the verbal altercations; it is the fan anticipation and the eventual climax of an epic matchup or series of fights. In this instance, the spotlight falls on Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz.
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While there are many options to choose from in McGregor’s fight catalogue, his rivalry with Nate Diaz is slightly overshadowed by his series of antics with José Aldo and his heated feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
But what makes this rivalry one of the most intriguing of all is that it never truly needed to happen. A rogue callout from the Stockton native, combined with a late injury to a former champion, ended up leading to two of the most massive fights in UFC history.
“Conor McGregor, you’re taking everything I’ve worked for mother f*****, Imma fight your f****** a**. You know what’s the real fight, what’s the real money fight, it’s me, not these clowns you already punked at the press conference.”
That’s just a snippet from Diaz’s epic Octagon interview following his win over Michael Johnson in 2015. At UFC 196, McGregor, who was coming off his featherweight title-winning knockout over Aldo, was originally scheduled to face then-lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in his bid to become a two-division champion. The Brazilian was forced out of the March 2016 bout due to injury, however, and in came Nate Diaz on less than two weeks’ notice. Due to the short-notice nature of the fight, it transitioned to a non-title welterweight main event.
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“It’s always a super fight when I’m in town,” McGregor told media during UFC 196 open workouts. “…I’m here for a fight. Let’s see if this man can fight. He’s talked a fair bit. If you’ve been following me or him, you know there’s been subtle digs over the course of last year… now all of a sudden, he’s a scared little brother of sorts. Let’s see what he has to say. I’m here for a fight and a check. F*** the belt.”
The two also met face to face at two pre fight press conferences, each serving one clear purpose: for McGregor and Diaz to trade jabs for 20 minutes and further spice up the matchup for fans. But unlike some of the banter often seen at these events, this was not trash talk for the sake of noise. Both men genuinely disliked the other and were actively trying to get under each other’s skin.
If McGregor had walked out to the Octagon at MGM Grand Garden Arena and dispatched Diaz like he had most of his previous opponents, this rivalry would have ended there. Would it have been massive? Sure. But it would not have reached the legendary level it did due to the shocking outcome of the fight.
Following an impressive opening five minutes from the featherweight champion, it was clear McGregor was slowing in the second round, and Diaz began putting on the pressure, landing a 1-2 that ultimately stunned the Irish superstar. Retreating, McGregor shot for a takedown, which became his downfall. Diaz gained control, took his back and locked in a rear-naked choke, submitting McGregor and becoming the first fighter to defeat him in the UFC. This launched Diaz into superstardom overnight.
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So, what happened next? Did McGregor drop back down to 145, or wait for dos Anjos to get healthy? Neither. Instead, McGregor called for an immediate rematch, which was booked just five months later at UFC 202.
After suffering a major setback and having his rapid rise halted at the hands of a fellow trash talker in Diaz, McGregor needed to get this one back. Now, with Diaz full of confidence and McGregor heated to get the win, every altercation between the two carried increasingly more intensity, all culminating in the UFC 202 press conference, which saw McGregor and Diaz’s team hurling water bottles at one another. Not the best look for either fighter, but it showcased the raw nature of their feud, and that neither would step back from one another inside or outside the Octagon.
Once they stepped back into the cage, now at T-Mobile Arena in August of that same year, the two were separated by a line of security before the fight even began. Much like their first fight, McGregor came out firing heavy shots, dropping Diaz multiple times in the opening frame. The second round followed a similar trend, with McGregor starting strong but slowly fading as the seconds ticked by.
This led to a tense third round, where it looked like if Diaz landed the same combination he had in their first meeting, it could lead to the same outcome. But going into the fourth, McGregor caught a second wind and started landing big shots that ultimately won him the round. Diaz rallied in the fifth with a late takedown, making the fight anyone’s to take.
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In the end, one judge scored it even, with Diaz earning a 10-8 in the third, while the other two judges gave it 48-47 in favor of McGregor, giving him a majority decision. While not the exact result he was probably seeking, McGregor got his revenge and returned to the win column, an important step toward his eventual lightweight title fight with Eddie Alvarez just three months later, where McGregor captured his second belt to become the first two-division champion in UFC history.
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