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Recap: Coverage of UFC 202 Diaz v McGregor 2

CONOR McGregor has won a bloodied slugfest, defeating Nate Diaz in their five-round rematch at UFC 202 in Las Vegas.

Dan ElsomDan Elsom
@elsom_dan
8 min read
August 22, 2016 - 10:45AM
It’s on.
It’s on.

UFC 202

Conor McGregor has won a bloodied slugfest, defeating Nate Diaz via decision in their five-round rematch at UFC 202 in Las Vegas. The event was one for the history books, with the entire card providing a number of blockbuster finishes. Read on in the blog below to see how the card unfolded.

2:30pm

Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor — Decision

Conor McGregor won by majority decision.

The Irishman managed to edge out Diaz in a tight 48-47, 47-47, 48-47 victory, winning the first, second and fourth rounds on significant strikes.

“Surprise surprise mother f***** the King is back,” McGregor said after the bout.

“I proved the class difference. It was a hell of a fight, he is a hell of a competitor.

“I dropped him in the third round but then he started loading up.

“It’s 1-1, let’s do it again. If you want this trilogy its on my terms. Come down to 155 and we’ll do it.”

Diaz didn’t agree with the decision, but also called for the saga to continue in a third.

“I thought I won that fight,” he said. “They can’t have a mother f*** like me win, I’m too real for this.

“I want number three. I gave him number two. Lets go again.

“Good job today Conor but we going for three, for real. Until then I ain’t coming back.”

2:20pm

Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor — Round 5

Diaz’s corner were under the impression that the Compton-local needed to win the final round to secure the victory, while McGregor danced around the Octagon to avoid as much contact as possible. Diaz battled hard to get a takedown, but McGregor defended well to keep the fighter’s standing. Diaz wasn’t a fan of the Irishman’s tactics, flipping him the bird as he danced around the Octagon. With two minutes to go, both fighters looked spent as they grappled up against the fence once again. With 30 seconds left, both fighters looked to be spent. But Diaz had the last word, getting a takedown in the closing seconds and landing a few ground and pound punches before the bell.

McGregor had learnt from their first fight not to take Diaz to ground.
McGregor had learnt from their first fight not to take Diaz to ground.

2:15pm

Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor — Round 4

It was the first time McGregor had made it through to the fourth round, and his fitness appeared to be struggling. Bringing back the leg kick, the Irish man just didn’t show the same power he had in the opening rounds. Regardless, Diaz suffered from a number of blows to the head, with blood pouring from an open wound on his face. The pair grappled up against the fence in a bloodied mess as Diaz looked to sap his opponent’s energy. Both fighter’s traded elbows in a desperate attempt to close out the bout. McGregor finished strongly, appearing to have found a second win. The final round promised to be a thriller.

2:10pm

Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor — Round 3

Diaz took the confidence he built in the end of the previous round into the third. Momentum appeared to be in the American’s favour as McGregor faded quickly — he has only had one career fight make the distance. Chants of “Diaz” rung through the stadium as he pinned the Irish fighter against the cage. As Conor continued to move away from his opponent, Diaz grew in confidence, taunting and throwing his hands out. With 30 second to go in the round, Diaz looked to finish the fight, landing a flurry of punches to the head and body, while McGregor failed to significantly fight back. Diaz very much held the upper hand heading into the championship rounds.

Nate Diaz kicks was a mess by Round 3.
Nate Diaz kicks was a mess by Round 3.

2:00pm

Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor — Round 2

McGregor twice refused to take the fight to ground, despite dropping Diaz twice in the first minute of round two. Blood covered Diaz’s face after a number of punches opened him up, with The Notorious very much on the front foot.

Diaz began to fight back more towards the end of the second, sensing the former featherweight was getting tired. McGregor was pushed to the fence after an onslaught from Diaz left him dazed. McGregor looked to be burning out quickly.

1:50pm

Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor — Round 1

A line of security guards separated McGregor and Diaz in the Octagon before the bout had even begun. The pair didn’t even touch gloves as they launched into the most anticipated rematch in recent UFC history.

McGregor opened the bout with a number of brutal leg kicks. Landing a few solid punches, McGregor then knocked Diaz to the ground midway through the round, but opted not to grapple and called him back to his feet.

Diaz appeared to struggle on his right leg after repeated strikes from the Irishman, with a large bruise already appearing on his right quad.

McGregor landed 36 significant strikes to Diaz’s 23.

1:40pm

Anthony Johnson vs Glover Teixeira

Rumble man, rumble.

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson made sure there was no doubt that he is the No. 1 contender for the light heavyweight title, knocking out No. 2 ranked Glover Teixeira in just 13 seconds during their co-main event fight in Las Vegas.

The pair traded a flurry of blows from the first bell, but it was Johnson who landed a stiff right uppercut to Teixeria’s jaw, knocking him out instantly. Johnson added two swift hammer punches to the jaw as his opponent hit the ground, but it was all over but he touched the canvas.

“That is terrifying man. No one has been able to do that to Glover. My god, what a terrifying human being,” commentator Joe Rogan said.

Rumble’s punch packed so much power that it completely knocked the sense out of the Brazilian. After regaining consciousness, Teixeira attempted to grapple with the referee, thinking the fight was still going.

“He thinks the fight is still going on,” Rogan said.

“They should not let him stand up right now. He does not know what is going on,”

Footage of the knockout punch actually shows one of Teixeira’s teeth flying out of his mouth.

After the bout, Johnson called out light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier for a shot at the belt.

“Much respect, that man is a champion,” he said. “I’m just coming in here to take that belt.”

1:20pm

Rick Story vs Donald Cerrone

After a dominant first round, Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone ended Rick Story with a flowing combination of a left to the head, right to the body and then a high kick to his face. Story actually held control for a larger portion of the bout, but was unable to land anywhere near the number of strikes.

Cerrone was absolutely dominant in the second round, hammering in 29 strikes to eventually get the TKO call. Pinning Story up against the cage, Cowboy drop him with a flurry of punches.

Having moved up a division for 202, Cerrone said he would drop back down to lightweight to challenge Eddie Alverez for the title at Madison Square Garden later this year.

1:00pm

Hyun Gyu Lim vs Mike Perry

Mike Perry couldn’t have hoped for a better start to his career in the UFC. The welterweight fighter went into his bout as the underdog up against significantly taller South Korean fighter Hyun Gyu Lim.

A six-inch reach advantage didn’t bother Perry in the slightest however, managing a TKO victory at the 3:38 min mark in the first round.

Lim was dropped several times in the round, with Perry landing 40 significant strikes to just 11 from Lim.

Following the fight, the 24-year-old gave a shout-out to boxing legend Mike Tyson, who was in the crowd at T-Mobile Arena.

“I reached back too far, I’ve got to fix that up,” Perry said of his punches.

“Whatever works, my left hook was good. Mike Tyson in the house, what up man.”

12:30pm

Tim Means vs Sabah Homasi

Blood was pouring from the head of Sabah Homasi as ref Herb Dean called off his UFC debut.

The bout was called at the 2:56 min mark of the second round after the more experienced American obliterated Homasi with punches in the second.

Homasi held a majority control in the first round, with two takedowns giving him a slight edge. However Means was totally dominant in the second, landing 42 significant strikes to just four from Homasi.

The 27-year-old was an absolute mess after the bout.

11:30am

‘One of the most exciting prospects’

The UFC has a new bantamweight contender.

Cody Garbrandt reaffirmed his place as one of the most exciting up and coming fighters in the division by closing out the preliminary card at UFC 202 in just 48 seconds.

Up against no. 8 ranked, veteran Japanese fighter Takeya Mizugaki, 25-year-old Garbrandt made it 5-0 in the Octagon.

Attacking Mizugaki from the outset, the American moved in for the kill with a stiff left-hand slap, followed by a straight right to his opponent’s jaw.

Mizugaki dropped immediately, but Garbrandt added a few more hammer punches for good measure before the ref called an end to the bout.

“Cody Garbrandt is one of the most exciting prospects, if not the most exciting prospect in this division,” Joe Rogan said.

“Prospect turned contender without a doubt,” agreed another commentator.

10:00am

THE CARD

Main Card

Welterweight

Nate Diaz (20-10-0) vs Conor McGregor (19-3-0)

Light Heavyweight

Anthony Johnson (21-5-0) def Glover Teixeira (25-4-0) via KO

Welterweight

Donald Cerrone (30-7-0) def Rick Story (19-8-0)

Welterweight

Mike Perry (6-0-0) def Hyun Gyu Lim (13-5-1) via TKO

Welterweight

Tim Means (25-7-1) def Sabah Homasi (11-5-0) via TKO

Prelim Card

Bantamweight

Cody Garbrandt (9-0-0) def Takeya Mizugaki (21-9-2) via KO (punches)

Women’s bantamweight

Raquel Pennington (7-6-0) def Elizabeth Phillips (5-3-0) via decision

Featherweight

Artem Lobov (12-12-1) def Chris Avila (5-2-0) via unanimous decision

Women’s strawweight

Cortney Casey (5-3-0) def Randa Markos (6-4-0) via submission

Early Prelims

Welterweight

Neil Magny (18-5-0) def Lorenz Larkin (17-5-0) via KO/TKO

Welterweight

Colby Covington (9-1-0) def Max Griffin (12-2-0) via KO/TKO

Welterweight

Marvin Vettori (10-2-0) def Alberto Uda (9-1-0) via submission

9:30am

‘I’M GOING TO BREAK HIS LEGS’

Weapon.
Weapon.

ARTEM Lobov is a scary character.

The Russian-born fighter trains with Conor McGregor in Dublin, and has taken on more than just his fighting style — The Notorious’ ruthless confidence seems to have rubbed off on him too.

During an interview with Ariel Hawali on The MMA Hour, Lobov gave a disturbing prediction for how he thought his bout with Chris Avila, a member of the Diaz camp, would go down at UFC 202.

“I think I’m stopping this guy,” he said.

“I’m going out to destroy him. I’m going to break his legs in the first round, and I’m going to break his face in the second.

When asked if he meant he would literally break Avila’s legs, the Russian was not mincing his words.

“Yes, literally break his legs and break his face.” Lobov said.

“I’ve broken many faces in my time. This is the kind of power I have.”

Lobov will take on Avila in the second fight of the preliminary card.

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