On March 5, 2016, one of the biggest upsets in UFC history took place.
At UFC 196, Nate Diaz submitted then UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their main event fight.
The fight took place at 170 pounds, due to Diaz stepping in on short notice for an injured Rafael dos Anjos. This nontitle loss was the first, and only, loss McGregor has suffered in the UFC.
After the fight, during the post-fight press conference, McGregor’s demeanor towards Diaz told quite the story. When Diaz walked past McGregor, he looked overwhelmed and looked to have lost his breath.
This look may have been the precursor to McGregor’s obsession with getting a rematch against Diaz.
Instead of defending his featherweight title, McGregor demanded, and received, an immediate rematch against Diaz in August at UFC 202. Once again fighting at 170 pounds, McGregor would go on to win that fight by majority decision.
