Ahead of their second bout, UFC released the first tilt between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz at UFC 196.
McGregor (19-3) peppered Diaz through the first round, but gassed out in the second round. Fighting at 170 pounds wore down the featherweight champ and Diaz (19-10) tapped McGregor in a thrilling bout.
Despite having the longer reach, Diaz spent most of the first round in retreat as McGregor pounded his face with swift hands and a stiff left uppercut. In the second round, McGregor was worn out and took too many open shots to the face, eventually getting stuffed in a takedown attempt and tapped out thanks to a rear-naked choke.
After taking a year off, Diaz returned in December to beat Michael Johnson on a decision victory. McGregor last won against Jose Aldo for the featherweight crown in December as well.
Diaz had less than two weeks to prepare for the fight after Rafael dos Anjos pulled out due to his foot injury. This time, McGregor and Diaz both had full camps to prepare for each other.
