Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz

Round 1: The video package for the rematch everyone has been waiting for is playing now. Fight fans, we’re literally seconds away from Diaz-McGregor 2. This has a big fight feel the level very few fights have ever had. Sinead O’Connor’s voice can be heard, and we all know what that means! It’s time for “The Notorious” Irish mega-star to make that walk. Finally, we see his face on the screen as he is walking with his cornermen backstage with the Irish flag wrapped around his shoulders. Sinead O’Connor music transitions to The Notorious B.I.G. and McGregor emerges from the tunnel and heads towards the Octagon to attempt to avenge his lone UFC defeat. Much like the infamous scene in the ring for the Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis boxing superfight years ago, there is a line of security guards separating the Octagon in half to ensure Diaz and McGregor don’t get things started before the actual bout begins. 2Pac’s “Ambitions as a Ridah” plays as the pride of Stockton, California makes his way to the cage. Both fighters are set, Bruce Buffer just finished up the final official pre-fight business. Folks, it’s time for Diaz-McGregor 2 right now! The wait is finally over. Neither guy is interested in touching gloves after the final face-off. Round one begins. McGregor comes out and in “Notorious” fashion, goes straight at Diaz and backs him up, commanding the center of the Octagon for himself. McGregor clearly has a gameplan that involves leg kicks, as he has thrown many, many leg kicks already. Powerful ones that Diaz isn’t checking, too. McGregor rocks Diaz with a big punch. McGregor drops him. Diaz survives. Back on the feet, McGregor does a good job of not getting too overly exciteable. He immediately goes back to the gameplan and starts chopping away at the legs of Diaz with solid low kicks. McGregor lands a clean straightt punch to the grill of Diaz. With under a minute left in the round, McGregor lets off the gas a bit and dances around while Diaz tries to mount any meaningful offense, but to no avail. Instead, McGregor throws a bomb and connects. Round one is over and it was clearly a Conor McGregor round.

Round 2: McGregor comes out composed and collected again in the second, going right after Diaz with leg kicks. McGregor floors Diaz with another big shot. He stays composed and backs up, forcing “Big” John McCarthy to tell Diaz to stand up. Moments later, McGregor drops Diaz again and does the same thing, backing up and forcing Diaz to get back to his feet. Diaz starts to get his senses back. McGregor continues to chop away with leg kicks while landing the occasional power punch. Diaz lands a nice straight punch of his own but McGregor quickly answers back, while remembering to mix in leg kicks. McGregor using a lot of footwork now, seemingly trying to avoid exchanges. At least that’s what Diaz believes, as he is moving forward and going after McGregor. He’s turning on the Stockton charm now, as he taunts McGregor before rocking him with a big shot. Other than a lot of leg kicks and Diaz getting fully dropped a couple of times, this is eerily similar to the first fight in terms of momentum. Diaz is taking over this fight again ladies and gentlemen. The horn sounds to end the second round and Diaz throws up a double bicep pose while strutting back to his corner full of confidence. This should be a very interesting third round coming up.

Round 3: McGregor comes out for the third clearly still breathing heavy and seemingly in danger. Diaz literally points this out, as he points at Diaz and smiles before moving forward to handle business. The fans chant “Diaz! Diaz!” as the Stockton native gets some offensive work done in a clinch with McGregor against the cage. The two separate and now that there’s some distance between the two, McGregor lands a big shot and follows up with some leg kicks. Diaz is still the man with the momentum on his side here in the second half of the third round. He’s taunting and mocking McGregor again now after McGregor attempts a spin kick. Diaz tags McGregor with a one-two. He puts together a multi-shot combo, working in a Stockton Slap in the process. McGregor’s back is against the cage. He’s clearly tired and Diaz is turning up the intensity. The finish seems like it’s inevitable, as McGregor will have a hell of a time surviving ten more minutes with a Nate Diaz who will never get completely fatigued.

Round 4: McGregor with a nice one-two combo with the hands to kick off the fourth round. Diaz now has a cut near his eye. McGregor with some leg kicks. The blood is starting to flow now from the face of Diaz, and while it hasn’t stopped McGregor from looking less than fresh, it definitely gave “The Notorious” one a boost of energy/adrenaline. McGregor is turning up the offense a bit now as the blood is free-flowing from Diaz’s face here in the fourth. Both men are clinched against the cage now. Diaz actually is starting to seem a bit tired here in the fourth. McGregor with another good shot. He might be winning this round and if he does, the fifth round will be extremely interesting in terms of deciding how the fight will be scored if it goes the distance. Diaz rocks McGregor with a good shot. McGregor answers back with a big shot of his own that staggers Diaz. Both guys take a breather here in the latter portion of the fourth round. McGregor with a nice combo. “He seems to have caught a second wind, Mike,” says Joe Rogan on commentary about the gas tank of the Irish mega-star. Diaz slips on a kick attempt at the buzzer. We’re going to a fifth and final round in what has been an incredible fight.

Round 5: This fight is living up to and exceeding expectations unlike any big fight in recent memory. We’ve got it even, 2-2 after 4, on our unofficial scorecard going into this fifth and final round. McGregor looking good here in the early goings of the fifth round, which is now underway. The blood is pouring out of Diaz’s face once again — badly. McGregor is staying on him and landing solid shots. He even went for a flying knee, so yeah, he definitely got a second wind somehow after seemingly being completely exhausted in the first half of the fight. Diaz goes for a takedown while the two are clinched on the cage. He came pretty close but ultimately McGregor avoided being taken to the ground. Diaz now taking over the offensive momentum again now as we reach tthe half-way point of the last round. McGregor looks up at the clock on the big screen while in a clinch with Diaz on the cage. He could be gassing out again, or he could just be seeing how much time he has left to work, knowing he could be on the wrong end of a tough judges decision if this one goes all the way. 30 seconds remains as Diaz keeps McGregor’s back on the cage, where it has been for the past minute. He scores a takedown and finishes the round and the fight hammering away at McGregor with ground and pound. The crowd is going absolutely nuts right now as McGregor and Diaz truly delivered on all of the hype that preceeded this highly-anticipated rematch. What a fight. Thank god I’m not a judge. Fifth round might be the hardest to call of the fight. McGregor and Diaz showing each other some respect now that the fight is over. You’ve got to love that. No real way not to earn a man’s respect after a 25-minute battle like the one we just saw.

Conor McGregor def. Nate Diaz via Majority Decision (48-47, 47-47, 48-47) after five rounds