McGregor avenges Diaz loss, wins decision at UFC 202

MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – Conor McGregor avenges his defeat to Nate Diaz, winning a 5-round majority decision in the main event of UFC 202 on Saturday, August 20 (Sunday Manila time) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, USA.

The scores were 48-47 on two cards for the Irish fighter, with the third even at 47-47.

McGregor appeared that he was losing his steam halfway through the second round and entire third period of his highly-anticipated rematch with Diaz, but the UFC featherweight titleholder had to endure and dig deep to edge out the number 4-ranked lightweight.

Avoiding a repeat the mistakes that he committed in the first encounter with Diaz, McGregor displayed a more calculated approach in the second meeting as he chipped away with punishing leg kicks early on, targeting the lead leg of his American opponent.

McGregor managed to negate the length and size advantage of Diaz as the 28-year-old Irishman smoothly found his range to land his signature left hand and dropped his opponent in the first frame.

Picking up the momentum from his opening salvo, McGregor scored another knockdown in the opening moments of the second canto, but he did not follow Diaz on the mat to avoid entering the Stockton native’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu wheelhouse.

With Diaz sporting a swollen eye and bleeding from the nose, McGregor consistently targeted Diaz’s leg and was able to slump his foe with another quick-but-stinging left.

As McGregor started to fade midway of the second round, Diaz capitalized by stepping on the gas pedal, bombarding the Irishman with an increased rate of strikes and forcing his own pace of exchanges.

Diaz continued the castigation on an exhausted McGregor in Round 3, uncorking a barrage of punches to the body and head.

McGregor caught his second wind in the fourth round, creating spaces and angles to nail his left hand and refocusing the attack on Diaz’s lead leg.

Having difficulty handling McGregor’s firepower in the round 4, Diaz desperately clinched and looked to convert from his takedown attempts. 

Sensing that he needed to close out the grueling bout on a high note, Diaz regained the momentum back on his side in the fifth period and was able to smother McGregor along the cage fence with drubbing punches to the body and crisp elbow shots.

Diaz constantly pursued for a takedown, but McGregor astoundingly defended the shots and maintained his balance by posturing out of it. 

With a minute left in the last round, McGregor briefly tripped Diaz to the canvas, but the latter quickly returned to his feet and scored his own takedown in the dying seconds. 

After the horn sounded that signified the end of the back-and-forth tussle, Diaz extended a hand and helped McGregor back to his feet.

McGregor improves to a 20-4 record with the victory over Diaz, who downgrades to a win-loss slate of 19-11. – Rappler.com